Reuters. Pope Leo held a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday (November 27) on the first day of his trip to Turkey.
The two are expected to address members of civil society and diplomats after their meeting. The Pope will also hold a meeting with the head of Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs before travelling to Istanbul in the evening.
Earlier, Pope Leo laid a wreath in Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Pope Leo set off on the trip as leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, leaving Rome for Turkey, where he was expected to make appeals for peace in the Middle East and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches.
