By Lovely Eseoghene Onohwakpor
New pontiff meets President Erdogan, calls for unity amid rising global tensions
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkiye on Thursday, launching his first foreign tour as head of the Roman Catholic Church with a message urging peace, interfaith dialogue and global cooperation during a period of escalating conflict across the Middle East and beyond.
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The pope met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara shortly after arriving, following a visit to the mausoleum of modern Turkiye’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Erdogan praised the visit, saying he hoped it would “benefit all humanity at a time of rising uncertainty and tension”.
During their meeting, Erdogan welcomed Leo’s outspoken stance on the Palestinian crisis. The pope has repeatedly called for a “just, lasting and respectful” resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemned the “unacceptable” conditions faced by Palestinians. Erdogan also commended the pontiff’s appeals for diplomatic solutions to the war in Ukraine.
The six-day trip to Turkiye and Lebanon marks a symbolic debut for the first American-born pope. His visit to Turkiye coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the early church council that produced the Nicene Creed, a foundational statement of Christian belief.
Leo, elected in May, is expected to focus on interfaith outreach during his stay. In Istanbul, he will meet Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, before the two travel to Iznik — the ancient city of Nicaea — where the Nicene Creed was originally formulated.
Church communities in Turkiye say the visit carries deep historical and geopolitical significance, particularly for Christian minorities across the region.
After his engagements in Turkiye, Leo will travel to Lebanon on Sunday. The country is struggling through a prolonged economic collapse and regular Israeli air strikes despite a year-old ceasefire with Hezbollah. More than 330 Lebanese have been killed since the truce was agreed, including Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, in a recent Israeli strike.
Vatican officials say security precautions are in place for the pope’s visit to Lebanon, though details have not been disclosed.