By Baris Seckin
ROME (AA) – Pope Leo XIV departed from Rome on Thursday morning for his first official trip abroad, heading to Türkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The pontiff will meet with Turkish officials, tour key cities, and visit significant religious sites during his stay.
The pope’s flight took off from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport (Fiumicino) at 07:40 am local time (0640GMT) aboard a special ITA Airways aircraft, emblazoned with the papal emblem. Accompanying the pope are Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, and a delegation of over 70 journalists covering the trip.
Before his departure, Pope Leo XIV briefly greeted those gathered at the airport to see him off. The ITA Airways “A320neo” aircraft, operating under flight number AZ 4000, is scheduled to land at Ankara Esenboga Airport at 12:30 pm local time (0930GMT).
- Schedule
The pope will be in Türkiye from Nov. 27-30, visiting Ankara, Istanbul, and Iznik.
The visit will begin with a solemn tribute to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic. Afterward, the pope will be officially welcomed at the Presidential Complex, where he and President Erdogan will discuss Türkiye-Vatican relations and other pressing regional and global issues, including the situation in Palestine.
The two are also expected to hold a news conference at Cihannuma Hall in Türkiye’s Presidential National Library in Ankara, the world’s third-largest library.
On Friday, the pope will meet with Christian clerics at St. Esprit Cathedral in Istanbul, visit the French Poorhouse Nursing Home, and travel by helicopter to Iznik for a religious service.
Saturday will see the pope visiting Sultanahmet Mosque and the Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church, where he will meet with the Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos. The day will conclude with a service at Volkswagen Arena.
The visit will wrap up with a final service at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and a return to the Fener Greek Patriarchate to commemorate its founding anniversary.