US Secretary of State Pompeo to meet Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he will travel to Turkey to meet Istanbul patriarch as part of a seven-nation tour from Nov. 13-23, but he will not be meeting with Turkish officials during the visit, Daily Sabah reports.

Pompeo said during a briefing at the State Department that he would leave Friday for France and would then visit Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

"The conversations will differ obviously in each country, (with) many different things to cover, but I am sure many of them will focus on this administration's historic efforts to forge peace and cooperation throughout the Middle East," he said.

According to the State Department, Pompeo will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris.

"Following Paris, Secretary Pompeo will travel to Istanbul, Turkey to meet with His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, to discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote our strong stance on religious freedom around the world," said the statement.

The top U.S. diplomat is not scheduled to meet with his Turkish counterpart or other Turkish officials.