Turkish religious leader starts four-day visit to US

WASHINGTON

The head of Turkey’s religious affairs visited the country's Embassy and Georgetown University in the U.S capital on Wednesday .

On the first of his four-day U.S. visit, Ali Erbas met with Turkey's Ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic, at the ambassador’s residence.

Erbas, in a brief statement, gave information about his schedule, stating that he will have an exchange of ideas with both the Turkish community representatives and the leaders of the American Muslim community.

Following a meeting with Ambassador Kilic, Erbas also visited the Islamic Cultural Center in Georgetown University. He inspected the center, which has been renovating under the auspices of the Directorate of Religious Affairs.

It was reported that the center, which will allow a large number of Muslim students to pray at the same time and to organize different cultural events, will be completed and put into service as soon as possible.

Erbas, who will come together with representatives and opinion leaders of different religions on Thursday, is expected to give the Friday sermon at the Diyanet Center of America (DCA) in Maryland.

The center, opened in late 2015 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is run by Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs.

It is Erbas’ first visit to the U.S. as the President of Religious Affairs and he is accompanied by his wife, Seher Erbas and a delegation from religious affairs.

After the program's end at the DCA, Erbas will leave for New York.