Pope Leo XIV lands in Türkiye on first foreign trip

Pope Leo XIV, head of the Vatican, has arrived in Türkiye, for his first overseas trip since assuming the papacy in May.

The Pope’s initial stop in Ankara will be Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. During the visit, he will lay a wreath and sign the Anıtkabir guestbook, paying tribute to the founder of modern Türkiye. Following this, he will proceed to the Presidential Complex, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

At the Presidential Complex, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will host an official welcoming ceremony for Pope Leo XIV, which will be followed by a private bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

The four-day visit to Türkiye will also take the pope to Istanbul and Türkiye’s northwestern town of Iznik.  On November 28, in Iznik, the ancient site of Nicaea, he is scheduled to attend a commemoration marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, a landmark gathering where early Christian leaders agreed on the fundamental doctrines of the faith.  

His last stop will be Istanbul, where he is scheduled to attend an ecumenical prayer service with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

Pope Leo's schedule also includes interfaith meetings with Muslim leaders, gatherings with local church leaders and Christian communities in Istanbul. He will also lead a Holy Mass before leaving for Lebanon on November 30 for the second leg of his tour.

In a social media post ahead of his tour, Pope Leo said the trip would also allow him to meet with Catholic, Christian and other religious communities. 

By Vafa Guliyeva