First American pope arrives in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where he will meet President Erdogan.Pope Leo has arrived on his first foreign trip as Catholic leader in Turkiye, which will then be followed in the coming days with a visit to Lebanon.During his six days in the two Muslim-majority countries, he is expected to make appeals for peace in the conflict-ravaged Middle East and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe pontiff, who has a crowded three-day itinerary in Turkiye starting on Thursday, before heading on to Lebanon, will be closely watched as he makes his first speeches overseas and visits sensitive cultural sites.Foreign travel has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes attracting international attention as they lead events with crowds sometimes in the millions, give foreign policy speeches and conduct international diplomacy.Leo, 70, will first visit the Turkish capital, Ankara, where he will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address political leaders.The first pontiff from the United States has chosen Turkiye as his first overseas destination to mark the 1,700th anniversary of a landmark early church council there that produced the Nicene Creed, still used by most of the world’s Christians today.Leo was elected in May by the world’s cardinals in a conclave to succeed the late Pope Francis. A relative unknown on the world stage before his election, Leo spent decades as a missionary in Peru and only became a Vatican official in 2023.Francis had been planning to visit Turkiye and Lebanon, but was unable to go because of his worsening health. Adv …
