Pope Leo XIV arrives in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Thursday in his first foreign visit since taking office last May, as part of a tour that also includes Lebanon. His visit to Turkey will last from November 27 to 30 and will include meetings in Ankara, Istanbul and Iznik.
Leo will be the fifth Pope to visit Turkey, and his program begins with a visit to the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara, before being received by President Erdogan in an official reception ceremony at the Presidential Complex.
After that, President Erdogan and Pope Leo will hold a bilateral meeting to discuss relations between Turkey and the Vatican, in addition to regional and international developments, foremost of which are the latest developments in Palestine.
At the conclusion of the talks, the two sides will hold a joint press conference, the first of its kind to be held in the “Cihan Numa” hall at the Presidential National Library, which is considered the third largest library in the world.
The name of the hall, “Cihan Numa,” means “World Vision,” and contains books from more than 100 countries and in 134 languages. The dome of the hall is also decorated with the Turkish translation of verses four and five of Surat Al-Alaq: “He who taught by the pen (4) Taught man that which he knew not. (5)”
Erdogan and the Pope are expected to highlight the situation in Gaza during the conference, and call for a halt to Israeli attacks and an immediate ceasefire.
Erdogan sent a congratulatory message to Pope Leo last May, in which he expressed his confidence in the possibility of strengthening dialogue between the two sides, stressing that strengthening relations between Turkey and the Vatican contributes to consolidating tolerance and ending human tragedies, especially in Gaza.
Since taking office, Pope Leo has made repeated statements about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, expressing concern about the targeting of churches there, noting that there has been pressure on Israel without a clear response.
He said: “There is no future based on violence or revenge,” calling for a just and lasting peace. He also defended Cardinal Pietro Parolin after Israeli criticism of him, considering that he conveyed the Vatican’s position.
The Pope addressed the ceasefire plan in Gaza, which was announced by US President Donald Trump on October 9 and entered into force on October 10, noting that it “lit a glimmer of hope” in the region.
Pope Leo will complete his visit on Friday by meeting with Christian clerics at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, then he will go to the French Poor House, before moving to the city of Iznik by helicopter to attend Mass.
The Pope will visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque on Saturday, then the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Afrem in Yeşilköy. He will also meet with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, and preside over a public Mass at the Volkswagen Arena.
On the last day of the visit, the Pope will attend Mass at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, visit the Greek Patriarchate again to participate in a celebration related to the anniversary of its founding, and meet with Patriarch Bartholomew.
