ANKARA: Pope Francis called for an end to all forms of fundamentalism on Friday and said fighting hunger and poverty, rather than military intervention alone, was key to stopping Muslim militants carrying out “grave persecutions” in Syria and Iraq.

Speaking at the start of a three-day trip to Turkey, he said “terrorist violence” showed no sign of abating in Turkey’s southern neighbours.

“It is licit, while always respecting international law, to stop an unjust aggressor,” the leader of the world’s Roman Catholics said in reference to the Islamic State group’s militants after a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

“What is required is a concerted commitment on the part of all... (to) enable resources to be directed, not to weaponry, but to the other noble battles worthy of man: the fight against hunger and sickness,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 29th , 2014