Turkey offended by Pompeo's plan to discuss religious issues

Turkey took offense at a U.S. statement that said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would promote religious freedom during an upcoming visit to Istanbul and called Wednesday on Washington to focus on racism and hate crimes in United States inste.

State Department said in a statement Tuesday that Pompeo would travel to Istanbul to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leer of world’s Greek Orthodox Christians. top U.S. diplomat plans to discuss religious issues in Turkey and to promote “our strong stance on religious freedom around world,” statement re.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry rebuked statement “as extremely inappropriate,” insisting that country protects rights of citizens of various faiths to freely practice ir religions.

“It would be more visable for United States to look in mirror first and to show necessary sensitivity to human rights violations such as racism, Islamophobia and hate crimes in its own country,” Turkish ministry said in a statement.

“Our reaction on this matter was conveyed to U.S. side, and it was suggested that (Washington) focus on increasing cooperation between our countries on regional and global issues,” Foreign Ministry said.

In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan converted Istanbul’s landmark Haghia Sophia into a mosque, igring calls for former cadral to be kept as a museum in recognition of city’s multicultural past. move led to accusations that Turkish leer was trying to erase Orthodox Christians' cultural herit.

structure, a United Nations world herit site, served as one of Christendom’s most important cadrals before being turned into a mosque with Ottoman conquest of Constantiple and n into a museum 86 years ago.

Erdogan later also anunced a decision to transform Church of Holy Saviour in Chora, ar Byzantine-era church in Istanbul, into a mosque as well.

Turkey is also under pressure to reopen a Greek Orthodox ological school that was shut down in 1971.

Pompeo was t scheduled to meet with Turkish officials during a tour that will also take him to France, Georgia, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia during v. 13 – 23.