Name: Pope warns world edging toward conflict during visit to Turkiye
Uploaded: 2025-11-28T08:14:10.957Z
Duration: 3 min 15 s
Description: The Pope warns that rising militarisation and economic tensions are pushing the world toward global conflict.

The Pope warns that rising militarisation and economic tensions are pushing the world toward global conflict.

Ankara

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Ankara, Türkiye, for his first overseas trip as head of the Catholic Church, emphasizing diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, and the historical ties between Christianity and the region. During the visit, he warned that escalating global conflicts could push humanity toward a potential third world war, urging nations to reject the logic of military and economic domination.

The pope's visit included meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who advocated for a political settlement in Palestine and praised the pope's stance. The trip, which also marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, underscores both Türkiye's role as a diplomatic bridge and the Vatican's commitment to fostering unity amid global tensions.

Pope warns world edging toward conflict during visit to Turkiye

Pope Leo XIV touched down in Ankara on Thursday, choosing Turkey for his first overseas trip as head of the Catholic Church, a symbolic destination and one that is being closely watched across the region. Welcomed by senior officials, the pontiff began a three-day visit that blends diplomacy, history, and interfaith dialogue. His first stop, Anitkabir, the museum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic. In the visitor's book, the pope wrote that he gives thanks to God for being able to visit Turkey and prayed for peace and prosperity of its people. A gesture in a country where secularism and religious heritage intersect and where the Vatican seeks to deepen dialogue with both the Muslim world and the wider Mediterranean. Choosing Turkey as his first foreign destination is widely seen as intentional, a gesture aimed at bridging divides. 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, held in what is now northwestern Turkey, a landmark moment in global Christianity. And Turkey's geographic, cultural, and religious diversity makes it a pivotal stage for pope's call for unity at the moment of rising global tensions. From the museum, Pope Leo traveled under cavalry escort to the presidential palace, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed him with full honors. Inside the National Library, both men offered sharply pointed messages. Pope Leo warned that escalating conflicts risk pushing humanity toward a potential third world war, urging nations not to give in to the logic of military and economic domination. We are now experiencing a phase marked by heightened level of conflict on the global level, fueled by prevailing strategies of economic and military power. President Erdogan used the moment to press for a political settlement in Palestine, calling for the swift establishment of a Palestinian state and describing the pope's position on the issue as astute and morally consistent. Israel has killed over 70,000 Palestinians, destroyed mosques, churches, schools, and hospitals. A just peace requires the establishment of a Palestinian state. Turkey will continue to defend this principle. For Ankara, the visit reinforces Turkey's role as a diplomatic bridge between continents, faiths, and global powers navigating in a volatile international landscape. For the Vatican, it signals that Pope Leo intends to begin his papacy by reaching across cultural and religious boundaries, starting in a nation that sits at the crossroads of civilizations. From Ankara, the pope will travel to Istanbul and then to Iznik, ancient Nicaea, underscoring the historical and spiritual significance of this trip. But his message today was about the present, a warning against global conflict, and a call for unity at a time when the world feels more fractured than ever. Resul Serdar, Al Jazeera, Ankara.

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