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On October 9, 2007, newly-elected Turkish President Abdullah Gul met with His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The hour-long discussion was described later by His All Holiness as “satisfactory” and “positive”. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew congratulated the president on his election and expressed his condolences to the families of 13 recently slain soldiers in a terrorist attack in the southeastern province of Sirnak on Sunday.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew raised the myriad of problems being faced by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and asked the Turkish State to address seriously the concerns of the Sacred See of worldwide Orthodoxy. The two also discussed environmental issues and focused on the threats posed by climate change.
The Ecumenical Patriarch also met with Koksal Toptan, Turkey’s Parliament Speaker. The two exchanged ideas on global warming, stressing that people should be more respectful toward the environment.
