Turkish president says threatening language of US evangelist, Zionist mentality unacceptable
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Turkey had no problems with religious minorities in the country, and that the threatening language of the United States would not benefit anyone.
"Turkey has no problems related to [religious] minorities. The threatening language of the U.S. evangelist, Zionist mentality is unacceptable," Erdoğan told journalists in parliament on Wednesday.
He added: "We will continue on the path we believe in without the slightest concession to our freedom, sovereignty, or judicial independence."
Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Erdoğan said Turkey would not make compromises regarding the independence of the judiciary, and said the remarks of the "evangelist, zionist mentality" in the United States was unacceptable.
On Tuesday, in a joint declaration, Turkey's minority community representatives -- including followers of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches -- said that people of different faiths live "freely".
"We as religious representatives and foundation directors of societies of different religions and beliefs, who have been settled in this country for centuries, are free to follow our beliefs and practices,” the declaration read.
He also said his foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, would hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Singapore.
