Kurdish stamp commemorating pope's visit to Erbil fans Turkish conspiracy fears - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Amberin Zaman

Amberin Zaman

Mar 10, 2021

ERBIL, IRAQ - MARCH 07: A nun waves a flag as Pope Francis arrives to conduct a mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium on March 07, 2021 in Erbil, Iraq. PPope Francis arrived in Erbil, the final stop of his historic four-day visit, the first-ever papal visit to Iraq. In his first foreign trip since the start of the pandemic, Pope Francis visited Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, and the cities of Qaraqosh and Mosul, which were heavily destroyed by ISIS. Although the trip is seen as an act of solidarity, the Vatican has bee — A nun waves a flag as Pope Francis arrives to conduct a mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium on March 7, 2021, in Erbil, Iraq. — Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) greets the president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, Massud Barzani, on July 14, 2014 before their meeting in Ankara as Turkey closely watches moves for an independent Iraqi Kurdistan amid the chaos in its conflict-torn neighbor. AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

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In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture