  Pope Francis may travel to Armenia after Turkey visit September 10, 2014 - 14:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Pope Francis has confirmed during a private audience with the Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenan Gürsoy, that he hopes to travel to Turkey in the near future, Daily Sabah reported. The 77-year-old pontiff's comments came on Monday, September 8 as Gürsoy visited him to bid farewell, as the ambassador is due to leave Rome following the end of his assignment. Francis is expected to visit the Turkish capital of Ankara on November 29 and then Istanbul, in order to celebrate the feast of Saint Andrew the following day, according to media reports. He is expected to use the visit to call for an end to the killing of Middle Eastern Christians in Iraq and Syria. Diplomatic sources said the pope told the Turkish envoy he was looking forward to visiting Turkey, after which he is also expected to visit Armenia. Francis was originally invited to Turkey earlier this summer by Bartholomew, the Orthodox Patriarch, who had recently travelled to the Vatican from Turkey to take part in prayers for peace between the Argentinian pope and Israeli and Palestinian leaders, according to Rome's La Repubblica newspaper and diplomatic sources. The visit is expected to be announced officially once newly-installed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issues a formal invitation to the Roman Catholic leader to come to Turkey. Related links:   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh  The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi ArabiaPashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”.U.S. doesn’t see Russia as contributing to peace in Caucasus Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh.Up to 1% cashback when shopping on Wildberries with IDBank cards IDBank is launching an exclusive campaign on Wildberries for online shopping enthusiasts. |
