Turkey's EU minister sends Christmas message to Orthodox citizens

ANKARA

Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu issued a message on Jan. 6 wishing Armenian and Eastern Orthodox citizens a merry Christmas.

Anatolia has always been a country of tolerance and home to different beliefs and cultures throughout history, Çavuşoğlu said in a written message.

“Today, we live in peace with our citizens in the Republic of Turkey from different ethnicities and religions and work together to enhance and develop our country,” the minister said.

The congregations observe Christmas on Jan. 7 rather than Dec. 25, as they follow the Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.