Leo brings message of peace in first foreign trip as Pope

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Turkey on his first foreign trip.

The journey fulfils the late Pope Francis’s plans to mark an important Orthodox anniversary and bring a message of peace to the region at a crucial time in efforts to end the war in Ukraine and ease Middle East tensions.

Leo’s charter plane landed at Ankara’s international airport ahead of a meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a speech to the country’s diplomatic corps.

He will then move on to Istanbul for three days of ecumenical and interfaith meetings that will be followed by the Lebanese leg of his trip.

The Pope was welcomed on the tarmac of Ankara’s Esenboga Airport by a military guard of honour.

Strolling along a turquoise carpet, he shook hands with tourism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, other officials and senior church figures from Turkey.

Speaking to reporters on board his plane, Leo acknowledged the historic nature of his first foreign trip as pontiff and said he has been looking forward to it because of what it means for Christians and for peace in the world.

Leo said he knows the visit to commemorate a key ecumenical anniversary was important for Christians. But he said he hoped his broader message of peace would resonate worldwide.

He added: “We hope to also announce, transmit and proclaim how important peace is throughout the world. And to invite all people to come together to search for greater unity, greater harmony, and to look for the ways that all men and women can truly be brothers and sisters in spite of differences, in spite of different religions, in spite of different beliefs.”

Leo’s Mercedes limousine received a horse-mounted escort to the presidential palace, where he was greeted by Mr Erdogan.

As is traditional for official guests to the palace, Leo paused in front of a guard of honour and addressed them with the words “Merhaba asker” or “Greetings soldiers”.

He was then welcomed by officials and senior church members.

The American pope emphasised a message of peace in a speech alongside Mr Erdogan.

Speaking to Mr Erdogan and the country’s diplomatic corps at a library in the palace complex, Leo praised Turkey’s historic role as a bridge between east and west and the crossroads of religions and cultures.

“May Turkey be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in services of a just and lasting peace,” he said, speaking in front of a giant globe.

“Today, more than ever, we need people who will promote dialogue and practice it with firm will and patient resolve.”

In his address in the Turkish capital, Leo recalled that four popes had visited Turkey: Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006, and Francis in 2014.

“The visits by four popes … show that the Holy See not only maintains good relations with (Turkey) but also desires to co-operate in building a better world with the contribution of this country,” he said.

Leo also pointed to the historical significance of Turkey as the site of the early ecumenical councils, including the Council of Nicaea.

Mr Erdogan said the Palestinian issue is central to achieving peace in the region and praised the Vatican’s stance on it.

“At the heart of a lasting peace in our region lies the Palestinian issue,” Mr Erdogan said in his address.

“I want it to be known that we have always appreciated the steadfast stance of our distinguished guest and his predecessors, especially regarding the Palestinian issue,” he said.

The Turkish leader again criticised the killings of civilians in Gaza, and noted that one of the places of worship struck by Israel was a Catholic church.

He reiterated his call for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue and said immediate steps must be taken to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire, protect civilians and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid.

Leo’s visit comes as Turkey, a country of more than 85 million predominantly Sunni Muslims, has cast itself as a key intermediary in peace negotiations for the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Ankara has hosted rounds of low-level talks between Russia and Ukraine and has offered to take part in the stabilisation force in Gaza to help uphold the fragile ceasefire, engagements Leo may applaud in his arrival speech.

Turkey’s growing military weight, as Nato’s largest army after the US, has been drawing Western leaders closer to Erdogan even as critics warn of his crackdown on the country’s main opposition party.

Though support for Palestinians and an end to the war in Ukraine is widespread in Turkey, for Turks who face an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, owing to market turmoil induced by shake-ups in domestic politics, international politics is a secondary concern.

That could explain why Leo’s visit has largely escaped the attention of many in Turkey, at least outside the country’s small Christian community.

Ankara residents expressed their appreciation of Leo’s decision to pay his respects at the mausoleum of modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Nilgun Altinsoy described it as significant, saying some leaders opposed to Ataturk’s secular reforms – introduced following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire – refrain from paying their respects.

“I congratulate the pope for this reason,” she said.

Bayram Alibastanbel said the pope’s visit resonates with Ataturk’s message of peace, which he said was relevant in the current climate of conflict.

“Ataturk is a world-renowned leader who said ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’,” Mr Alibastanbel said. “We are already going through a difficult time globally, a period with wars. Since this is a time when the world needs peace, I think this is a meaningful visit.”

On Friday, Leo will join Istanbul-based Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which took place in today’s Iznik, some 90 kilometeres (54 miles) southeast of Istanbul.