ISTANBUL (AP) — U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo met Tuesday with the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians during a short trip to Turkey that has raised the ire of Turkish officials and includes no meetings with any of them.Pompeo, who is on a seven-country tour of Europe and the Middle East, tweeted pictures of him being greeted by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians, after being shown around the Patriarchate. He was also scheduled to meet with the apostolic nuncio to Turkey, Archbishop Paul Russell.
The talks were to center on religious freedoms in Turkey, which has angered Ankara and prompted officials to call on Washington to focus on human rights violations in the United States.
Last week, Turkey issued a sharply-worded statement criticizing Pompeo’s plans and said Washington should "look at the mirror" and deal with issues such as racism, Islamophobia and hate crimes.
But the talks went ahead, and Pompeo on Tuesday tweeted that "as leader of the Orthodox world" Bartholomew "is a key partner as we continue to champion religious freedom around the globe."