Date: 27 November 2025
ANKARA — On Thursday, Pope Leo XIV landed in Ankara, Turkey, marking the first foreign trip of his papacy since his election in May 2025. His arrival launches a closely watched diplomatic and religious journey that will take him through Istanbul and İznik, before continuing on to Lebanon.
Addressing journalists aboard the papal plane from Rome, the pontiff described the trip as a historic opportunity to promote unity and peace. “We hope to … proclaim how important peace is throughout the world and to invite all people to come together,” he said.
In a formal speech delivered at Ankara’s Presidential Palace, Pope Leo called on Turkey to leverage its strategic and cultural position as a bridge between East and West. He urged the country to be a stabilizing force in a world beset by conflict, citing global tensions and economic pressures that he warned could spiral into "piecemeal war.
The timing and destinations of this journey are laden with symbolic weight. Pope Leo’s visit coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea — a monumental gathering in early Christian history that produced the Nicene Creed, the foundational statement of faith still central to most Christian denominations today. As part of the commemoration, the pontiff is scheduled to meet Bartholomew I, the spiritual head of the world’s Orthodox Christians, for an ecumenical prayer service in İznik (ancient Nicaea).
In his remarks, Pope Leo cautioned against rising global divisions, saying societies risk being “polarised and torn apart” by militarisation, economic competition, and injustices. He emphasized that pluralism and respect for diversity are essential to a civil society’s vitality.
Welcomed on the ground by Turkish authorities, including a guard-of-honour at Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport and a formal reception at the presidential complex, Pope Leo minced no words when reaffirming the Church’s commitment to dialogue, compassion and solidarity — not just within Christianity, but across faiths and cultures.
Observers say the choice of Turkey — a predominantly Muslim country with a small Christian minority — as the first overseas stop is strategic. The visit underscores the Vatican’s ambition under Pope Leo to position the Church as a unifier in a world riven by conflicts, religious tensions, and humanitarian crises.
In the coming days, Pope Leo will meet religious leaders from Christian and Muslim communities, lead interfaith prayers, and highlight themes of justice, peace, and coexistence — messages aimed not only at regional concerns in the Middle East but at global challenges including conflict, migration and humanitarian suffering.
As this landmark visit unfolds, the world will be watching — and many are hoping Pope Leo’s call for unity and compassion may help nurture a new chapter of interfaith dialogue and global solidarity.