Erdogan welcomes head of Vatican City State Pope Leo XIV in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with the head of the Vatican City State and Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Earlier, the agency reported that during a one-on-one meeting, President Erdogan and Pope Leo XIV are expected to discuss Türkiye–Vatican relations as well as current regional and global developments, with a particular focus on the situation in Palestine.

The meeting agenda is set to discuss Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine, efforts to build peace in the Middle East, and broader international issues.