Pope Leo XIV encourages Turkey to be a force for peace on his first foreign trip

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkey on Thursday, marking his first foreign trip as pontiff with a strong message of peace amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. The American pope was welcomed by a military guard of honor at the airport and later by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara.

During his address to Erdogan and the diplomatic corps, Leo praised Turkey’s historic position as a bridge between East and West. “May Turkey be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace,” he stated. “Today, more than ever, we need people who will promote dialogue and practice it with firm will and patient resolve.”

The visit comes at a significant time as Turkey, a nation of over 85 million predominantly Sunni Muslims, has positioned itself as a key mediator in international conflicts. The Turkish government has hosted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and has offered to participate in stabilization efforts in Gaza to help maintain the fragile ceasefire. Israel, however, has rejected any Turkish involvement, citing Ankara’s support for Hamas and their historically tense relations.

Without specifically mentioning these conflicts, Pope Leo echoed his predecessor Pope Francis in lamenting that today’s wars amount to a “third world war fought piecemeal,” with resources diverted to armaments instead of addressing hunger, poverty, and environmental protection. “We must not give in to this! The future of humanity is at stake,” he emphasized.

President Erdogan, in his remarks, highlighted the Palestinian issue as central to achieving regional peace and commended the Vatican’s position on the matter. He stressed the urgency of strengthening the Gaza ceasefire, protecting civilians, and ensuring uninterrupted humanitarian aid delivery.

In a notable departure from the Vatican’s Italian-centric tradition, the American pope delivered his address in English. He also addressed women’s rights in Turkey, praising their increasing contributions to professional, cultural, and political life. “We must greatly value then the important initiatives in this regard, which support the family and the contribution that women make toward the full flowering of social life,” Leo said.

This comment carries significance in a country where women’s rights advocates continue to criticize Erdogan’s 2021 withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, a European treaty designed to protect women from violence. According to the advocacy group We Will Stop Femicide, 237 women have been killed in Turkey so far in 2025, primarily by husbands, partners, or relatives, with another 247 women found dead under suspicious circumstances.

Following his time in Ankara, Pope Leo will travel to Istanbul to meet with Orthodox Christian leaders and representatives of Turkey’s Muslim community before continuing to Lebanon on Sunday.

The primary purpose of Leo’s visit to Turkey is to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a historic gathering of at least 250 bishops from across the Roman Empire. This council took place when Eastern and Western churches were still united, before their split in the Great Schism of 1054, largely due to disagreements over papal primacy.

The visit also serves to strengthen the Church’s relations with Muslims. In Istanbul, Leo will visit the Blue Mosque and lead an interfaith meeting. Asgın Tunca, a Blue Mosque imam who will receive the pope, expressed hope that the visit would advance Christian-Muslim relations and dispel misconceptions about Islam.

On board his plane, Leo acknowledged the historic significance of his first foreign trip and his anticipation for what it means for Christians and peace promotion globally. He also shared lighter moments with reporters, noting that Thursday was Thanksgiving in the United States and receiving gifts including pumpkin pies and Chicago White Sox memorabilia—a nod to his beloved baseball team.

Despite the papal visit’s international significance, it has received limited attention from many in Turkey, where citizens are preoccupied with an ongoing cost-of-living crisis stemming from domestic political turbulence. Fatma Cicek Geyik, a 57-year-old artist, expressed a measured perspective: “He’s welcome, his visit will bring joy. But I don’t see it as something to exaggerate too much. They will leave just as they came.”