Pope Francis ‘would appreciate a visit from Erdoğan,’ Turkey’s Vatican ambassador says
ROME
Turkey’s ambassador to Vatican City has said Pope Francis would “appreciate a visit from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” Doğan News Agency reported on Jan. 8.
Mehmet Paçacı was speaking after a brief exchange he had with the Pope during a meeting that the latter hosted with the ambassadors of 183 countries at the Apostolic Palace.
“I celebrated the Pope’s New Year and he told me that he expects and would appreciate a visit from our president. We told him we would be delighted at such an occasion,” Paçacı was quoted as saying, adding that the visit should be scheduled “as soon as possible.”
Speaking at the meeting in the Vatican, Pope Francis also praised Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon’s efforts in hosting refugees, drawing attention to the international community’s need to support these countries in their efforts, the ambassador stated.
