Tolerance, mutual respect between religions and the bridges that connect the East and the West in Turkey were among the highlights in the speeches of Pope Leo XIV and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the joint statement on the Holy Father's first visit abroad after being elected pope, BTA reported.
"This land is inextricably linked to the emergence of Christianity," Pope Leo XIV said in Ankara. He defined Turkey as a land of tolerance that connects the East and the West and is a bridge between the two civilizations.
"Christians want to contribute to the positive development of your country. And the Christians who live in your country are Turks and are part of this identity," the Pope said.
As a sign of the relationship between Turkey and the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV pointed to Pope John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli - ed. note), who was also on a mission in Istanbul. In the context of global challenges, the Holy Father spoke about peace, justice, the protection of human dignity and artificial intelligence.
"Let us work together. Let us work together so that we change the direction towards the rise and prevent the evils that can be caused to humanity," the Pope urged.
Both the Pope and Erdogan pointed to the family as one of the most important priorities. The head of the Roman Catholic Church described the consumer society as deceptive. "We must respond to this by giving importance to love and closeness," the Pope stressed.
The Holy Father called on Turkey to be the foundation of a lasting and just peace in the world.
"The future of humanity is in danger. This destructive action, instead of making us face the problems of energy sources, the fight against poverty, access to health and education, distracts us from these topics," the Pope said.
On behalf of the Vatican, he expressed readiness to cooperate with all communities and called for friendship. Erdogan, for his part, said that this visit is important from every point of view. He expressed hope that it will contribute to cooperation in every field.
"I believe that the messages sent from here will flow throughout the Christian world and increase the hope for peace," Erdogan said. He stressed that the visit comes at a critical time when tensions around the world are escalating.
"We shared our common expectations for world peace and stability," the Turkish president said after meeting with the pope. Erdogan said the two discussed topics such as the causes of illegal migration, justice, lack of humanity, climate change.
"Our country does not choose the easy path, but the difficult one, through which it strives for peace, justice and stability. We are among the countries that send the largest humanitarian aid based on gross domestic product per capita," Erdogan said.
As an example of tolerance in Turkey, he pointed to the sheltering of 3.6 million Syrian refugees and the restoration of nearly 100 churches, monasteries and ritual houses in recent years.
The Turkish president also commented on his country's role in seeking a way out of regional conflicts.
"In recent days, we have been closely following the efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and are trying to make our contribution to peace... From a diplomatic point of view, the calls for peace and dialogue of our dear guest are of utmost importance. We want peace and tranquility for all. We want to achieve this," Erdogan said.
He stressed that achieving lasting peace in the region requires resolving the Palestinian issue and that Israel has been bombing churches and hospitals for months.
"Among them is the only Catholic church in Gaza, the "Holy Family", the Turkish president said. He said that Turkey is grateful to the Pope for his position on what is happening to the Palestinians.
"Our greatest human duty to the Palestinians is justice. Fulfilling this duty requires restoring the 1967 territories and recognizing two separate states," Erdogan said.
He said that a ceasefire and allowing sufficient humanitarian aid are necessary. In addition, the Turkish president said that efforts should be made to protect the cultural heritage in Jerusalem and stop the encroachment on it.
Erdogan also expressed gratitude that the international community had not abandoned Syria, emphasizing the role of the Vatican in this. He described Pope Leo XIV's decision to visit the "Sultan Ahmet" Mosque as part of his program as a sign of dialogue and understanding with Muslims.
"No matter what religion we belong to, we are part of the great human family. The world we live in, besides being a test for us, is also something we must bequeath to the next generations," Erdogan stressed. After the meeting, religious-themed musical pieces from Christian and Muslim traditions were performed in the presidential library.