President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Turkey graciously invited the Ecumenical Patriarch and Patriarch Barnabas to Ankara on May 13, 2024. They attended a dinner at the Beştepe Presidential Palace in honor of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who was visiting the city.
After the dinner, the Ecumenical Patriarch returned to Constantinople on the same day and departed for Lisbon early the next morning to participate in the KAICIID World Dialogue Forum, where he will deliver a keynote speech.
Accompanying the Ecumenical Patriarch on his journey are Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Private Patriarchal Office, and Patriarchal Deacon Epifanius Kamianovych. In Lisbon, they will be joined by local Metropolitan Bessarion of Spain and Portugal.
Prior to this, on May 11, 2024, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Athenagoras of Kydonia attended the inauguration of a Museum established by businessman Rahmi M. Koç in an old olive mill. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from Turkey and Greece.
After exploring various historical sites, the Patriarch returned to Ayvalik, concluding a memorable visit to the region.
Source: Ecumenical Patriarchate, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas