Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkey on Thursday on his first foreign trip since assuming the papacy, seeking to highlight religious unity and deliver a message of peace amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The pontiff was welcomed at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport with a military guard of honour and received by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, senior officials and church leaders. He is scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address diplomats before travelling to Istanbul for a series of ecumenical and interfaith engagements.

Speaking to reporters aboard his flight, Leo said he hoped the visit — organised to mark the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity’s first ecumenical council — would also strengthen global calls for peace. “We hope to proclaim how important peace is throughout the world,” he said, urging unity among people of all faiths.

Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator in talks on both Ukraine and Gaza, roles the pope is expected to acknowledge. However, the visit has attracted limited attention among Turks, many of whom remain consumed by economic hardship.

The centrepiece of Pope Leo’s trip will be his meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with whom he will pray at the historic site of the Council of Nicaea in modern-day Iznik. A joint declaration is expected as a symbol of Catholic-Orthodox cooperation.

Leo will also visit Istanbul’s Blue Mosque and participate in an interfaith gathering aimed at strengthening Christian-Muslim relations.

The visit comes against a backdrop of longstanding concerns over religious freedom in Turkey. While recent reforms have eased some restrictions, church groups continue to face bureaucratic challenges.

Leo will conclude the Turkish leg of his trip with a sensitive visit to the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, a gesture closely watched given strained historical and diplomatic sensitivities.