Ankara: Pope Francis has condemned the Islamic State assault on Christians and other religions minorities in Iraq and Syria as he arrived in Turkey to encourage Muslim leaders to take a stronger stand against extremists who twist religion to justify terrorism.
Francis sought to offer a balanced message Friday as he met with Turkish officials upon his arrival.
He reaffirmed that military force was justified to halt the extremists' advance, but called for greater dialogue between Christians and Muslims to end fundamentalism.
He said: "Fanaticism and fundamentalism, as well as irrational fears which foster misunderstanding and discrimination, need to be countered by the solidarity of all believers."
He also thanked Turkey for hosting 1.6 million refugees.
