Turkey greatly appreciates the position of Pope Francis on the question of Jerusalem. The Turkish president said so, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a press conference on the eve of his visit to the Vatican, during which he publicly expressed his appreciation for the position taken by the Pope on the delicate question of Jerusalem.
The Pontiff has a "positive approach" to the problem of Jerusalem, which is important for Turkey as it shows that "we can work together with him as the head of Christianity," said Erdogan. Among the topics that the Turkish head of state will discuss with Pope Francis, in addition to Jerusalem, are the Palestinian question, Syria, Iraq, the fight against terrorism, the refugee problem and humanitarian aid.
For the Turkish president, the visit to the Vatican is "a significant opportunity to draw attention to shared humanitarian values and to offer messages of peace and friendship".
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Erdogan then stated that he will also discuss with the Pope the fight against Islamophobia and the wave of racism that is observed in the Western world. With particular reference to the racist attack that took place in Macerata on February 3, Erdogan declared that the fact demonstrates "how great the threat of xenophobia is".
According to the Turkish president, "there is no difference between attacks by terrorist organizations and these racist attacks". Moreover, Erdogan continued, "during this period of danger, attacks on mosques, places of prayer and Muslim businesses increase, sometimes reaching ethnic cleansing".
For the Turkish president, against such events, "we must take a firm position". In matters of religion, Erdogan then declared that "for centuries, Turkey has been a place of freedom for all the oppressed because of their faith. Today, the followers of every creed coexist in peace in our country ". Turkey is determined to "protect and strengthen this climate of freedom".
(Nova)