Speaking at a news conference at the Presidential Complex, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said they discussed with visiting Pope Leo XIV global peace and stability.
"The pope’s calls for peace and diplomacy regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict are meaningful," Erdoğan stated. "We will work together (with the Vatican) against any violation of the sacred status of East Jerusalem," he added.
For his part, Pope Leo XIV said he hopes Türkiye remains a source of lasting stability and peace.
The pontiff said the world was witnessing a heightened level of conflict. “The future of humanity is at stake,” he warned. Pope Leo XIV also praised Turkish culture in part of his speech when he underlined the importance of family.
Erdoğan welcomed the pontiff's "astute stance" on the Palestinian issue and hoped the visit would be beneficial for humanity at a time of tension and uncertainty.
The visit marks the pontiff's first official trip abroad since ascending to the head of the Catholic Church. Erdoğan held a one-on-one meeting with the pope at the Presidential Complex that lasted for approximately half an hour. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed Türkiye-Vatican relations as well as current regional and global developments, with a particular focus on the situation in Palestine. The meeting agenda was also set to discuss Israel's ongoing genocide in Palestine, efforts to build peace in the Middle East and broader international issues.
Following their bilateral talks, Erdoğan and the pontiff addressed a news conference at the Cihannüma Hall of the Presidential Nation's Library. Earlier, the pontiff paid respects at Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Ankara, before being officially welcomed at the Presidential Complex.
In a statement released after their meeting in the Presidential Complex, Erdoğan said he was “deeply pleased” to host Pope Leo XIV in Türkiye, calling the pontiff’s first foreign visit since taking office “highly meaningful” and an important step toward strengthening shared ground between Ankara and the Vatican. He noted that they held “productive” talks focused on global peace, stability and humanitarian challenges.
The president said they discussed bilateral relations as well as “current issues that concern the collective conscience of humanity,” including forced migration, poverty, injustice, climate change and ongoing conflicts around the world. He emphasized the need not only to protect people forced to flee their homes, but also to eliminate the root causes driving migration.
Erdoğan said he welcomed the alignment between Türkiye and the Vatican on an approach that “defends peace, prioritizes justice and is rooted in compassion,” describing this convergence as a source of personal satisfaction.
He called the visit “a very important step” that reinforces common ground between the two sides and expressed hope that their meeting would bring “benefit to all humanity.” Erdoğan also extended wishes of peace and well-being to the global Catholic community.
On Friday, the pope will meet with Christian clerics at St. Esprit Cathedral in Istanbul, visit the French Poorhouse Nursing Home and travel by helicopter to Iznik for a religious service. Saturday will see the pope visiting Sultanahmet Mosque and the Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church, where he will meet with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew.
The day will conclude with a service at Volkswagen Arena. The visit will wrap up with a final service at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and a return to the Fener Greek Patriarchate to commemorate its founding anniversary.
Speaking to journalists at the beginning of his flight, Leo told them he was grateful this year for the work they do in covering the Church and the first months of his papacy. He said he was very pleased to undertake the trip, noting that he had eagerly anticipated it due to its significance for all Christians and the wider world.
Referring to his upcoming engagements in Türkiye and Lebanon, the pope reiterated his intention to stress the importance of peace for everyone in the world. He also called on all people to unite in pursuing peace, noting that despite differences in religion and beliefs, humanity is fundamentally connected, and he hopes to contribute to efforts promoting peace and global unity.
The pope is the fifth pontiff to visit Türkiye, after Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006 and Francis in 2014. On Sunday, Leo will head to religiously diverse Lebanon, a nation that has been crushed by a devastating economic and political crisis since 2019 and which has been the target of repeated bombings by Israel in recent days, despite a cease-fire.
