A first in Turkish history as minority representative joins Gül's foreign trip

Turkish Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Yusuf Çetin (L) and Turkish President Abdullah Gül are seen at a meeting in Ankara in this 2007 file photo. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Ali Ünal)

6 March 2013 /TODAYSZAMAN.COM, İSTANBUL

For the first time in history, a minority representative will take part in a foreign trip by a Turkish president as Turkish Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Yusuf Çetin is set to join President Abdullah Gül on his upcoming visit to Sweden.

Çetin, who was previously invited to the Çankaya Presidential Palace to meet Gül, is among the delegation joining Gül on his Sweden trip. Upon the invitation of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, Gül will be heading to Sweden on Sunday and meeting with Turkish Syriac community representatives at the Turkish Embassy in Sweden. According to Syriac sources, there are around 70,000 Turkish Syriacs living in Sweden.
The head of the Syriac Church of the Virgin Mary Foundation, Sait Susin, told press on Wednesday that the Turkish Syriac community is happy with Çetin being invited along on a presidential foreign trip
todayszaman.com