President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the head of the Vatican City State and Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara on Thursday.
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, Erdogan and the pontiff will address a press 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.
