Erdogan praises Pope’s ‘astute stance’ on Palestinian issue
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Pope Leo XIV, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan attend a meeting with representatives of Turkey’s authorities, civil society and diplomatic corps at the Turkish national Library in Ankara on Thursday. (AFP)
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Pope Leo XIV during their meeting at the Presidential palace in Ankara on Thursday. (Via AP)
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Pope Leo XIV and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan review an honor guard during an official welcome ceremony at the presidential palace, in Ankara. (AP)Next
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Updated 16 min 41 sec ago
Reuters
November 27, 2025
- President Tayyip Erdogan meets Pope Leo in ceremony in Ankara
- Turkish president says he hopes Catholic leader’s first overseas visit will benefit humanity at time of tension and uncertainty
ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan praised Pope Leo’s stance on the Palestinian issue after meeting him in Ankara on Thursday, and said he hoped his first overseas visit as Catholic leader will benefit humanity at a time of tension and uncertainty.
“We commend (Pope Leo’s) astute stance on the Palestinian issue,” Erdogan said in an address to the Pope and political and religious leaders at the presidential library in the Turkish capital Ankara.
“Our debt to the Palestinian people is justice, and the foundation of this is to immediately implement the vision of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. Similarly, preserving the historic status of Jerusalem is crucial,” Erdogan said.
Pope Leo’s calls for peace and diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine are also very meaningful, Erdogan said.
In September, Leo met at the Vatican with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and raised the “tragic situation” in Gaza with him.
Turkiye has emerged as among the harshest critics of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, in its conflict there with Palestinian militant group Hamas.