Erdogan praised Pope Leo for his “reasonable approach to Ukraine and Palestine” during a visit to Turkey

In Ankara, a meeting took place between Tayyip Erdogan and Pope Leo. The event is rare: the Pope chose Turkey for his first foreign trip. Reuters notes that the focus of the visit is an attempt to shift the conversation about the region towards peace.

Erdogan emphasized the Pope’s approach to the Palestinian issue. He called his view “insightful” and specifically noted the support for the two-state formula within the 1967 borders. For Ankara, the topic of Jerusalem remains key — he stated this directly at the meeting in the presidential library.

Pope Leo, deviating from Vatican traditions, bets on personal presence. His trip concerns not only Turkey. On the agenda is also Lebanon, where tension persists, and the spiritual authority of the Vatican can strengthen international signals for dialogue.

Erdogan also mentioned Ukraine. The Pope’s call for diplomacy was perceived in Ankara as an important signal. Turkey, balancing between NATO, Russia, and regional interests, emphasizes the importance of peaceful initiatives — even if they sound cautious.

A separate layer is Turkey’s position on Gaza. Ankara continues to criticize Israel’s actions and does not change its rhetoric. Against this backdrop, the Pope’s support for dialogue appears in Ankara as political capital that can be used in contacts with Arab countries.

Pope Leo demonstrates readiness for a new course: more direct involvement, less distance. His visit is seen as an attempt to launch a new format of diplomacy. It is not certain that it will change the region’s architecture, but the Vatican’s step is noted as atypical and noticeable.

An extended analysis of the meeting, the impact of the visit on Turkey’s relations with Israel and the Arab world, as well as the context of statements on Jerusalem and 1967 — in the full material on NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, where we track the development of the region’s diplomatic lines.