Pope Leo XIV's Visit to Türkiye

 

Introduction

Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois in 1955, Pope Leo XIV is an American Catholic clergyman who was elected as the new Pope by the conclave in the Vatican on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis. With family roots in Catholic European countries (France, Italy, Spain) and having turned to religion from a young age to lead a good Catholic life, Leo first studied at a seminary affiliated with the Order of Saint Augustine, then studied mathematics and philosophy at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. After graduating from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Leo XIV came to Rome at the age of 27 to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. After graduating, he worked for the Augustinians early in his career, then rose through the ranks by serving in religious and diplomatic roles in Peru for many years. Leo was made a cardinal in 2023 by the previous Argentine Pope Francis, paving the way for him to become pope. Following the unexpected death of Pope Francis on April 21, a papal conclave was held in the Vatican on May 7-8. Leo, whose position had been strengthened by Pope Francis' appointment of him as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops prior to this process, was elected despite not entering the race as the favorite candidate, becoming the new Vatican (Holy See) State President and Bishop of Rome (Pope). Leo, who went down in history as the “first American Pope”, also holds Peruvian citizenship.

Leo XIV

Leo XIV: A New Pope 

After the election of the Pope, all eyes turned to Leo, who became a highly anticipated figure regarding his political stance following the previous Pope Francis' unusually liberal statements. However, research on this subject has emphasized that, like all Catholic clergy, the new Pope is opposed to abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and the death penalty, but beyond that, he does not have a particularly rigid stance and has even been able to gain support from both progressive and conservative groups within the Vatican. An examination of his Twitter (X) account reveals that, unlike U.S. (United States) President Donald Trump, Leo is sensitive to the issue of climate change and, moreover, opposes harsh attitudes towards immigrants and migration.

The new Pope, who chose the name “Leo” in reference to Leo XIII, who initiated the Church's “modern social doctrine”, was elected with the support of Pope Francis and broke taboos as the first American Pope. Leo, who was expected to speak out on the recent unimaginable massacres in Gaza, delivered principled messages without directly criticizing the parties involved, stating that “a future based on violence, forced migration, and revenge cannot be built”. Following Israel's attack on a Catholic church in Gaza, the Pope fulfilled his duty by defending Catholic rights and denounced the attack as “barbaric”. While sending a message of “peace” to Israel and Hezbollah, the Pope nevertheless took a principled stance on anti-Semitism and distanced himself from statements in this regard. In this context, Leo currently appears to be a progressive Pope, much like Francis. Indeed, Dr. Canan Tercan, an academic conducting post-doctoral research at Rome's Sapienza University on “the Vatican, Catholic communities, and their interactions with right-wing parties in Europe”, describes the new Pope as “moderate and modernist”.

Türkiye-Vatican Relations: A Brief Summary

Türkiye-Vatican relations, which began with the Papacy maintaining a permanent representative in Istanbul starting from the era of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who conquered Istanbul, remained largely ambiguous until 1962. This was due to the fact that the two states historically/traditionally represented different civilizations (Islam vs. Christianity) and that the Vatican, because of its special status, was a theocratic state based solely on the representation of a single religion and denomination. Indeed, despite the fact that almost all of its population is Muslim, the Republic of Türkiye (Turkey), which transitioned to a secular regime in 1928 (the date on which the phrase “the official religion is Islam” was removed from the constitution) and enshrined this in all its constitutions from 1937 onwards, was not very enthusiastic about relations with the Papacy at first due to historical rivalry and the sensitivities of the Muslim population.

"Turkish Pope" Roncalli

The person who changed the course of relations was XXIII. Ioannes, also known as the “Turkish Pope”, or Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli by his real name. The Italian Pope had learned Turkish well, partly due to his many years of service in Istanbul, and had always been a person who loved the Turks. Roncalli, who was such a big fan that he would go to Beşiktaş matches and who established close relations with the Catholics in Polonezköy, was elected Pope in 1958-1963, making it possible for a major breakthrough in Vatican-Türkiye relations. Rinaldo Marmara, an expert on the subject, stated the following in his work Towards Relations between Turkey and the Vatican in Light of the Vatican Secret Archives: "There is no doubt that the architect of these relations was Monsieur Roncalli, who resided in Istanbul as the Papal Nuncio. Roncalli, who forged bonds of brotherhood and friendship between two worlds, was later elected Pope John XXIII, and the friendly relations between Turkey and the Vatican turned into full diplomatic relations." Indeed, during Roncalli's tenure, our third President, Celal Bayar, visited the Vatican in 1959, and official diplomatic relations between the two states were established on April 11, 1960. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, embassies were opened in both countries following this event, and our Embassy to the Vatican became operational in 1962.

Pope Paul VI praying at Hagia Sophia

The first official papal visit to Türkiye was made by Pope Paul VI in 1967. Although Paul's visit caused a great stir in Türkiye and the Christian world, the Pope's kneeling in prayer at Hagia Sophia, which was still a museum at the time, was not well received by right-wing circles in Türkiye and caused some reactions. Behind the scenes of Pope Paul VI's visit to Türkiye lay efforts to thaw relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Indeed, prior to this visit, the mutual excommunication decisions taken in 1054 following the official split between the two churches representing Western and Eastern Christians were lifted in 1964. The efforts of Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople to strengthen inter-church dialogue by inviting the Pope to Türkiye were also effective.

Pope John Paul II and Ağca

Later, the second official visit was made by Polish Pope John Paul II in 1979. Upon arriving in Türkiye, John Paul, who viewed Istanbul as the cradle of Christianity, kissed the ground as soon as he stepped off the plane at the airport. He also made history as the first Pope to visit Ankara. Furthermore, Pope John Paul II's trip to Türkiye was arranged to coincide with the Feast of Saint Andrew on November 30, which is considered the founding day of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople. However, prior to this visit, Mehmet Ali Ağca, a nationalist activist who had threatened to kill the Pope, did indeed attempt to assassinate him in the Vatican approximately 1.5 years after the visit, shooting and seriously wounding him. The Pope, who survived the incident, later visited Ağca in prison and announced that he had forgiven him after speaking with him.

A Pope in Sultanahmet: Benedict XVI

The third official visit from the Vatican to Türkiye was made by Benedict XVI in 2006. The fact that the visit came 27 years later is directly related to the crisis created by the Ağca case. During his visit, which included both Istanbul and Ankara, Benedict also attended the Feast of St. Andrew on November 30 and visited the Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque). Benedict's visit was also quite important because prior to this visit, some statements made by the Pope had been interpreted as “anti-Islamic”, and, influenced by reactions to the Iraq War, anti-Christian sentiments among Muslim fanatics in Türkiye and the Middle East had begun to grow stronger. The Pope's visit, however, calmed these reactions, and Benedict, explaining that his words had been “misunderstood”, succeeded in softening relations.

The Erdoğan family and Turkish delegation in the Vatican

The fourth and final visit was made by Pope Francis on November 28-30, 2014. Francis, who was experiencing some problems with Türkiye at that time, particularly due to the approaching 100th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide allegations, and during which Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Paçacı was even recalled to Ankara for a while due to the crisis. He managed to mend bilateral relations and establish good chemistry with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, partly due to the latter's humanitarian stance of respecting people of all faiths. Indeed, following this visit, our President also visited the Vatican on February 5, 2018, and this visit was also very successful. Erdoğan, the second Turkish President to visit the Vatican after Celal Bayar, thus increased Türkiye's prestige in the Western world by presenting a vision of a peaceful and respectful statesman despite his devout Muslim personality, disappointing those who wanted to see Türkiye on a radical Islamist path.

Pope Leo at the Mausoleum of Atatürk (Anıtkabir)

In this context, Pope Leo XIV's visit was not a diplomatic event that occurs frequently in Türkiye, and it is only natural that this visit should be viewed in the context of diplomatic history and intercultural dialogue. Like previous official Vatican visits, Leo's visit was timed to coincide with a historical moment and was organized to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea (İznik), where Jesus Christ was declared “divine”. During the visit, planned for November 27-30, the Head of State of the Vatican and spiritual leader of Christian Catholics visited Anıtkabir, the eternal resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and met with President Erdoğan and Safi Arpaguş, President of Religious Affairs.

Pope Leo's Visit: Symbols and Messages

During his visit to Anıtkabir, Pope Leo wrote in the guest book, “I thank God for being able to visit Türkiye, and I wish this country and its people peace and prosperity.” He particularly emphasized messages about family, praising the Turks for their devotion to this issue. The Pope's emphasis on family took on even greater meaning when one considers Israel's attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza. Leo, who was welcomed with a lavish diplomatic ceremony at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara, endeavored to deliver messages of peace after the meeting. Indeed, President Erdoğan also delivered similar messages, contributing to Muslim-Christian dialogue and friendship.

Speaking first at the press conference, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "We are a country inspired by the double-headed Seljuk eagle, facing both East and West. For a thousand years, people of every race, religion, sect, and origin have lived freely on this land, our homeland, without fear or oppression. When you visit Istanbul, Hatay, Mardin, Diyarbakır, and many of our other cities, you will see churches and synagogues side by side with mosques. Since we came to power in 2002, we have completed the restoration of nearly 100 churches and places of worship. Our guest's calls for peace are extremely valuable. Peace for everyone, tranquility for everyone..." Expressing his pleasure at hosting the Pope, the President of Türkiye also viewed the Pope's first foreign visit to Türkiye as very positive. Erdoğan also stated that they wanted to further develop Türkiye-Vatican relations. Erdoğan also stated that they have protected the non-Muslim (Christian) heritage in Türkiye during their time in power, summarizing their actions in this regard (church restorations, etc.) and claiming that no discrimination is made against anyone in Turkey, especially Christians. President Erdoğan also brought up the Alliance of Civilizations project, co-led by Spain and Türkiye, and emphasized its importance. Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye's humanitarian aid efforts in various crises, particularly the Syrian civil war, and noted that they are actively working to end all conflicts, especially the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. Finally, the Turkish President referred to the great humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza, praising the Pope's efforts in this regard and criticizing Israel.

Following President Erdoğan, Pope Leo XIV took the stage and expressed his satisfaction at being well received in Türkiye, noting that the country's beauty comes from God. Emphasizing Türkiye's importance in world politics, the new Pope said that Türkiye, which connects Asia with Europe and East with West, is a very important country for all of humanity. Noting that pluralism and respect for differences are necessary in such a country, Leo criticized extremist movements and polarization in world politics, saying that Christians do not want this and wish Türkiye well. In his speech, Pope Leo also mentioned Roncalli, known as the “Turkish Pope”, and conveyed some of the views of Pope John XXIII, who served in Türkiye and Greece in the recent past, on the interactions between the two civilizations and states. In his speech, the Pope also spoke of the oppressed and said that people should not be indifferent to their suffering. The spiritual leader of Catholics, who often uses the metaphor of a “bridge” when referring to Türkiye, particularly emphasized the concepts of "justice" and "mercy". The Pope also defended the religious freedoms of people of all faiths, stressing that “we are all children of God”. The Pope, who also said that technological revolutions should not trigger inequalities between people and societies, briefly touched on the subject of artificial intelligence in his speech. Comparing humanity to a “big family”, Leo XIV, praised the Turks' attitude toward family, and criticized individualistic approaches and consumer culture. Instead, the Pope suggested more personal and emotional relationships between people and underscored the need for tolerance. The Pope also defended women's freedoms, stating that he considered their active participation in life to be necessary. The Pope concluded his remarks by wishing stability for Türkiye and peace and prosperity for the world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV's visit to Türkiye has been quite successful, and this fifth official visit from the Vatican has witnessed some historic moments. The Pope's warm reception in Türkiye is extremely beneficial and positive in terms of Muslim-Christian relations. However, the Vatican, a small spiritual state, is undoubtedly not a state that is at the forefront of today's cold political calculations. In this sense, the visit is more effective, valuable, and important from a spiritual and symbolic point of view. The Pope's avoidance of words that could be misunderstood and perceived as targeting any state reflects his utmost attention and care in this regard. In this sense, the American Pope sought to show that he was not targeting any state and that he was not using the Papacy as a political tool. President Erdoğan's careful and beautiful speech during the visit has also been an important source of prestige for his political career and Türkiye's image. Therefore, those who planned this successful visit undoubtedly deserve congratulations.

Prof. Dr. Ozan ÖRMECİ