• The author is the scientific director of the Observatory on Türkiye at the Rome-based think tank CeSPI.

ISTANBUL

The Head of state of the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV's trip to Türkiye is already historic as it left an indelible imprint, not only at the bilateral level between the Holy See and Ankara, but also regionally and internationally for its important remark on dialogue and peace. It was his first visit abroad, and he was welcomed in a country that is a genuine home of peaceful, multicultural coexistence.

Türkiye: a crucial bridge

The Bridge is the logo that Pope Leo XIV chose for his visit to Türkiye. A symbol with strong semiotic connotations, the bridge traditionally recalls the major infrastructure projects in Istanbul that unite Anatolia and Europe. Thus, Türkiye arises as a natural connector between East and West, Asia and Europe. In this regard, Ankara's political focus on dialogue and mediation is not overlooked, since it is assiduously engaged in diplomatic mediation in critical scenarios such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Moreover, it is worth noting Türkiye's investments in dialogue and stabilization efforts in various regional arenas, ranging from the Middle East to the Caucasus, Africa, and the entire world. In this regard, Pope Leo spoke clearly about the "threats looming over humanity," referring to the incumbent Third World War and the importance of being "united in working for peace through dialogue."

As a bridgemaker, Türkiye has been advocating for a more equitable and just world on various platforms and on the need to restore the conditions for constructive and solution-oriented dialogue. Indeed, Ankara is a pivot with a forward-looking outlook, leveraging the great historical legacy accumulated over the centuries as a cultural crossroads. Hence, it is a focal point for political, intercultural, and interreligious dialogue.

"You have an important place in both the present and future of the Mediterranean, and of the whole world, above all by valuing your internal diversity," the pope said in Ankara during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Indeed, it is precisely in this territory that different religious and cultural identities have coexisted for centuries and that Christianity took historical shape, despite experiencing the formal split between the Eastern and Western Church.

Pope Leo's diplomatic vision appears almost aligned with Erdogan's vision on the urgency of finding viable solutions in an increasingly fragmented context, by raising awareness that the environment must also be preserved. In his days in Türkiye, Leo strongly acknowledged Ankara as a peace broker, while Erdogan explicitly reaffirmed the firm tone in denouncing the atrocities unfolding in Gaza, as well as Israel as a main regional destabilizing factor.

In Istanbul, between enthusiasm and meditation

Pope Leo XIV's stay in Istanbul was packed with religious events and celebrations by also engaging civil society. His visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor, a small religious congregation active in Türkiye for over a century, dedicated to charity in caring for the elderly and those in despair, brought renewed attention to the need to protect the most vulnerable ones from contemporary challenges and to honor the elderly as custodians of memory, identity, and historical wisdom.

Great attention was also paid to migrants and refugees, some of whom actively attended the celebrations in Istanbul. While Türkiye provides professional opportunities to a large number of foreigners, the pontiff's words warned of the Islamophobic and xenophobic tendencies emerging in the Western world. However, the mass celebrated at the Volkswagen Arena was particularly noteworthy. It attracted numerous faithful and onlookers, underscoring the strength of the Christian community in Türkiye, which is highly active and present, despite its small dimension.

On that occasion, the pope’s acknowledgment of Erdogan for "making the arena available for the celebration" underscored a genuine and important mutual recognition, as well as the great harmony between the two leaders. Nevertheless, the visit to the Sultan Ahmet Blue Mosque, in line with the tradition of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, represents Leo's personal attitude of listening, learning and openness toward others by sealing an important meeting in a place of historic importance for Istanbul and the Muslim world.

Iznik: From the Council of Nicea to today

On the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, which laid the ecumenical foundations of the Christian Church, the presence of Leo and other representatives from the Orthodox Church calls for the opportunity to heal the internal schism and act with full unity of purpose. Along these lines, meetings were held with the patriarch of Turkish Armenians, Sahak II Marshalian, heads of four Sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Istanbul Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I.

They emphasized the importance of a new pattern of ecumenism that can practically reaffirm the commitment to full communion. In conclusion, Leo XIV, in his speech at the Divine Liturgy, presided over by Bartholomew I in the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul, cited today's challenges, from new technologies and the related need to promote a universal use, to the threat of the ecological crisis, which requires "an authentic spiritual conversion to change direction and safeguard creation."

In this regard, Türkiye's first lady Emine Erdogan was recently received in a private audience at the Vatican as a promoter of the Zero Waste initiative, paving the way for the constructive dialogue we have witnessed along with the pope's visit to Türkiye. As Ankara and the Vatican are aligned, this synergy could be further strengthened to bear fruit in terms of peace, solidarity and respect for human dignity.