November 18th. On the 17th local time, US Secretary of State Pompeo visited Turkey. However, the highest-ranking diplomat in the United States encountered an embarrassing situation of zero diplomatic schedule: Turkish President Erdogan and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu did not see him.
In the end, Pompeo left hastily after meeting with an Orthodox leader. A week ago, Erdogan congratulated Biden on his election as President of the United States, and Pompeo has insisted that Trump will be re-elected.
According to foreign media reports such as Agence France-Presse and Arab News, Pompeo met with the leader of the Orthodox Church and the universal Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, on the 17th to express his “resolute position” on religious freedom.
During the meeting, Pompeo told Bartholomew I: “It is a great honor to be here.” Outside the meeting, dozens of Turks protested Pompeo’s visit, shouting “Yankee go home!”
In July of this year, Turkish President Erdogan announced that the Hagia Sophia Museum will be opened to the public as a mosque. This move was publicly criticized by Pompeo. Before Pompeo’s arrival, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that the United States should “look in the mirror and examine itself” before making use of the topic of freedom of belief in Turkey which is completely unrelated.
Before Turkey was coldly received, Pompeo’s trip to France was also full of embarrassment.
French President Macron has congratulated Biden on his election as President of the United States. At this time, Pompeo, who still insists that Trump will be re-elected, announced his visit to France. In this regard, Macron publicly stated that the content of his meeting with Pompeo will be fully disclosed to the Biden team.
In the end, the two sides met behind closed doors, neither disclosed the content of the talks to the outside world nor held a press conference. French public opinion poured cold water on Pompeo’s visit. Le Monde described it as a “farewell trip”, while the Parisian newspaper was outspoken and mocked Pompeo’s “embarrassing” trip
