(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 16.02.2023),- On Thursday morning, February 16, the Holy Father received — in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace –, the Letters of Credence of the new Ambassador of Turkey to the Holy See, Mr Ufuk Ulutas. The presentation took place in the context of the recent earthquakes that to date have left some 50,000 dead.
Mr Ulutas was born in Iskenderun on October 10, 1980. He is married and has two children. He received a Licentiate in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Bilkent, Türkiye in 2002, a Master’s in Middle East Studies from Ohio State University (USA) in 2005, and a doctorate in International Relations from Yidirim Beyazit University of Turkey in 2016.
He has held, among others, the following posts: Director of Foreign Policy of the Foundation for Political , Economic and Social Research (SETA) from 2017 to 2018; Associate Professor of the Faculty of Political Science, Department of International Relations from the ASBU since 2018; President of the Research Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022.
The Holy Father sent a thoughtful message to the Turkish people through the new Ambassador. He wrote in Italian:
My thoughts and prayers are with the noble Turkish people in these moments of so much grief.
Dear brothers and sisters, I am close to you and pray
With brotherly affection,
Franciscus
Translation of the Spanish version of the Papal Message by Virginia M. Forrester
