Pope Leo meets Erdogan in Turkiye on first overseas trip, signals peace and interfaith outreach

Pope Leo has begun his first foreign tour as head of the Catholic Church with a high-profile visit to Turkey, holding talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara before heading to Lebanon in the coming days.

Arriving shortly after midday on Thursday, Leo launched a tightly packed three-day programme that will be closely watched for its symbolic and political weight, as well as for his first major speeches abroad.

After paying tribute at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkiye, the pope met Erdogan, who framed the visit in global terms. He said he hoped Leo’s presence “will be beneficial for all humanity at a time when uncertainties and tensions are on the rise.”

Leo’s journey through two Muslim-majority nations is expected to focus firmly on peace in the Middle East and on bridging divides within Christianity itself.

Speaking to journalists aboard the papal flight from Rome, Leo was clear about his intent:

“We hope to … announce, transmit, proclaim how important peace is throughout the world,” he said. “And to invite all people to come together, to search for greater unity, greater harmony.”

The first US-born pope, Leo chose Turkey as his inaugural destination to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which gave rise to the Nicene Creed, a cornerstone of Christian doctrine.

His itinerary also has deep historical resonance. From Ankara, Leo is due to travel to Istanbul, once known as Constantinople, former heart of the Roman Empire and a symbolic bridge between East and West. There, he will be welcomed at St Anthony Padua Parish, the city’s largest Catholic church.

Istanbul is also home to Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians. On Friday, the two leaders will visit Iznik, ancient Nicaea, where the foundations of Christian belief were shaped and where efforts toward Christian unity will take centre stage.

Leo succeeds Pope Francis, who had planned the same regional tour but was unable to complete it due to ill health. A former missionary in Peru and Vatican official only since 2023, Leo remains a relatively new presence on the world stage, but this trip signals a clear direction: global engagement, dialogue and peace.