Nicaea

Pope Francis has said he wanted to visit Turkey next year to celebrate the anniversary of the first council of the Christian Church.

"It's a trip that I desire to go on, with all my heart," the pontiff told a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul, a Vatican statement said.

The historical city walls, which were constructed 2,300 years ago in the northwestern province of Bursa's İznik district, have been taken under protection by the Metropolitan Municipality during the restoration works.

The Greek farmers escalate their protest actions and insist on their demands asking the Greek government to withdraw first the reforms on social security and tax system and then begin the talks.

Greek farmers decided on Sunday to harden their stance and escalate their protest actions by blocking the roads for more hours per day and by driving their tractors to Athens on Friday.

Greek farmers decided on Sunday at the crucial meeting at Nikaia Larisa to harden their stance and escalate their protest actions.

Representatives of farmer road blocks throughout Greece, from Evros down to Crete, met there at noon to discuss how to coordinate their action.

An Athens prosecutor on Wednesday filed charges against two mayors who are refusing to cooperate with the government in its efforts to check civil servants’ employment contracts.