U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a global trip from November 13-23, 2020 that will include a stop in Istanbul, Turkey, where the official statement said he will meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The statement included numerous other countries and meetings with various government leaders leaders. Interestingly, the announcement didn’t include any government officials in Turkey on the agenda.
“Following Paris, Secretary Pompeo will travel to Istanbul, Turkey to meet with His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, to discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote our strong stance on religious freedom around the world,” the statement read.
The statement itself could be a cryptic message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who doesn’t appear anywhere on the U.S. Secretary of State’s agenda, nor do any other Turkish government officials.
Despite President Trump’s close friendship and frequent praising of the Turkish dictator, Pompeo has repeatedly condemned Turkish aggression against Greece over the past several months, including in public statements when he visited the Souda Bay naval base in Crete in October.
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