{"id":81017,"date":"2025-11-27T20:55:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/?p=81017"},"modified":"2025-11-27T20:55:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:55:35","slug":"pope-leo-xiv-arrives-in-turkiye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/pope-leo-xiv-arrives-in-turkiye\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV Arrives in T\u00fcrkiye"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pope Leo XIV<\/a>, the head of the Vatican State and spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, arrived in Ankara at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan. Welcomed at Esenbo\u011fa Airport by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Pope launched his T\u00fcrkiye program with a visit to An\u0131tkabir before heading to the Presidential Complex for official talks. The ITA Airways aircraft carrying the Pope became one of the most-tracked flights on Flightradar24 shortly after takeoff from Rome.<\/p>\n

Diplomatic meetings in Ankara<\/strong><\/h3>\n

During his Ankara stop, Pope Leo XIV held bilateral and delegation-level meetings with President Erdo\u011fan. The discussions focused on T\u00fcrkiye\u2013Vatican relations, the situation in the Middle East, and global peace efforts. The Pope also visited the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), where he met with President Safi Arpagu\u015f.<\/p>\n

Erdo\u011fan emphasizes justice and peace<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Following the talks, President Erdo\u011fan delivered messages on rising Islamophobia, global tensions, and humanitarian crises. Highlighting T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s role as a bridge between civilizations, Erdo\u011fan stated that the meeting underscored \u201ca shared commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pope\u2019s message: Christians are part of Turkish identity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pope Leo XIV emphasized T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s unique position between East and West, noting that Christian communities feel themselves an integral part of the country\u2019s social fabric. He warned against escalating global conflicts and called for dialogue, solidarity, and cooperation to protect humanity\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Next stops: Istanbul and \u0130znik<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Pope will continue his visit in Istanbul, meeting clergy at Saint Esprit Catholic Church before visiting the French Hospice. On Friday, he will travel to \u0130znik to lead a religious ceremony as part of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.<\/p>\n

Closed-door meeting at the Diyanet<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pope Leo XIV\u2019s meeting at the Presidency of Religious Affairs was held behind closed doors. Senior Diyanet officials, including members of the High Council of Religious Affairs, attended the session.
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