Greece’s foreign minister corrects himself after using wrong name for Istanbul

By Tugba Altun

ANKARA (AA) – Greece’s foreign minister corrected himself after using the wrong name for the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Nikos Dendias said over the weekend on Twitter that he would travel to “Constantinople” to attend a Orthodoxy Patriarchal and Archieratic Divine Liturgy and meet with Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew.

Expectedly, his post received criticism due to his wording, particularly from Turkish people.

However, he used “Istanbul” in his Twitter posts on Sunday.

Dendias on Sunday paid a visit to the Turkish metropolis.

He attended the Feast of Orthodoxy (the Sunday of Orthodoxy) -- the first Sunday of Great Lent -- at the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.

Worshippers also prayed for the victims of the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria as well as for the victims of the Feb. 28 train crash in Greece.

The Head of Cyprus’ Orthodox Church, Archbishop Georgios, also attended the ceremony.