From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Erdogan says he admires pope’s ‘astute stance’ on Palestinian issue
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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan praises Pope Leo’s “astute stance” on the Palestinian issue after meeting him in Ankara on Thursday.
“We commend (Pope Leo’s) astute stance on the Palestinian issue,” Erdogan says in an event at the presidential library.
“Our debt to the Palestinian people is justice, and the foundation of this is to immediately implement the vision of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. Similarly, preserving the historic status of Jerusalem is crucial,” Erdogan says.
The Turkish leader has been an outspoken supporter of Hamas, and has frequently accused Israel of genocide, comparing the war in Gaza to the Holocaust and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hitler. Israel’s relations with Turkey, a major trading partner before the war, have chilled since its outbreak.
Pope Leo, meanwhile, encourages Turkey be “a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace.”
The pontiff also urges Ankara to embrace its internal diversity, and notes that “Christians desire to contribute positively to the unity of your country. They are — and they feel — part of Turkish identity.”
He calls it “essential” in a society like Turkey where religion plays a visible role, “to honor the dignity and freedom” of everyone.
“We are all children of God, and this has personal, social and political implications. Today, this is a great challenge, which must reshape local policies and international relations,” Leo says.
The Times of Israel Community.