Pope Leo sees Erdoğan's ties as bridge to Ukraine peace

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's links with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the United States could open doors to dialogue, a ceasefire and steps toward ending the war, Pope Leo XIV said Sunday on his flight to Lebanon.

The comments came during a press briefing aboard the papal plane, wrapping up the pontiff's three-day visit to Türkiye that included stops in Ankara, Istanbul and Iznik – the historic site once called Nicaea, birthplace of a key early Christian council in 325.

"This trip to Türkiye and now Lebanon revolves around one theme: serving as a messenger of peace, aiming to foster it across the region," Leo XIV said, framing the journey's purpose.

He described his meeting with Erdoğan as a standout moment, offering a chance to tackle pressing global issues head-on.

Türkiye stands as a model of coexistence, the pope observed, where a Muslim majority shares space with Christian minorities in relative harmony – a blueprint "we all would want to replicate around the world."

Turning to the Middle East, Leo XIV restated the Vatican's longstanding call for a two-state solution, the only viable route to peace despite Israel's current stance against it.

The Holy See seeks to act as a bridge, promoting fairness for all parties, he explained.

Leo XIV noted that he broached this with Erdoğan, who "agrees with this proposal." Türkiye, he added, "has an important role it could play in this."