Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill's book launch cancelled

The meeting to introduce the Turkish edition of Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill's book "Freedom and Responsibility" has been cancelled as Turkish-Russian relations continue to strain after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet that violated its airspace.

The book was expected to be launched in Istanbul yesterday evening with an exhibition held featuring the theme of "The Russian Orthodox Church's Mission in the Contemporary World."

The meeting was going to be attended by Russian Ambassador to Ankara Andrei Karlov, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Moscow Patriarchate's department for external church relations head Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and Russian Federation's Istanbul Consul General Andrey Podelyshev.