How Pope Francis and Türkiye found common ground after rocky diplomatic start
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Pope Francis (L) shake hands at Presidency in Ankara, Türkiye, Nov. 28, 2014. (AA Photo)
Pope Francis’s relationship with Türkiye has been marked by significant diplomatic fluctuations, beginning with an early papal visit in 2014 and evolving through periods of tension and reconciliation over his 12-year papacy.
The Argentine pontiff prioritized Türkiye relations early in his tenure, making a three-day visit to Ankara and Istanbul on Nov. 28-30, 2014, just over a year after his election. This made him the fourth pope to visit Türkiye and established him as the first foreign dignitary officially received at Türkiye’s newly opened Presidential Complex.
During the landmark trip, Francis met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visited Ataturk’s mausoleum, and conducted interfaith outreach by praying at Istanbul’s Blue Mosque.
The visit also served to strengthen ties with the Orthodox Church through meetings with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Patriarchal Church of St. George.
Relations deteriorated sharply in April 2015 when Pope Francis referred to the 1915 events as “the first genocide of the 20th century” during a centennial commemoration at St. Peter’s Basilica. Türkiye responded by immediately recalling Ambassador Mehmet Pacaci for consultations and downgrading diplomatic representation to the charge d’affaires level.
Jerusalem crisis creates unexpected Vatican-Türkiye alliance
The diplomatic freeze thawed 10 months later when the Vatican released a February 2016 statement using the term “tragic 1915 events” rather than genocide, while condemning the 1977 assassination of Turkish Ambassador Taha Carim by Armenian militants. Ambassador Pacaci returned to his post the following day.
A turning point in Turkish-Vatican relations came in December 2017 when both leaders found common ground opposing U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Francis and Erdogan held two phone calls that month, leading to Erdogan’s official Vatican visit in February 2018.
During the 2018 meeting, both leaders emphasized Jerusalem’s importance to Muslims, Christians, and Jews, advocating for maintaining its U.N.-mandated status. Their collaboration extended to other global issues, with Francis expressing appreciation for Türkiye’s mediation efforts in the Ukraine conflict during a 2022 meeting with Ambassador Lütfullah Göktaş.
The relationship strengthened through frequent communication on shared concerns, including the Gaza conflict in 2023-2024 and joint condemnation of content they deemed offensive to religious values during the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Their most recent in-person meeting occurred at the June 2024 G7 Summit in Italy, where they discussed artificial intelligence, energy, and Mediterranean affairs. Before his death, Pope Francis had expressed interest in visiting Iznik, Türkiye, in 2025 to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.
Through diplomatic ups and downs, the Pope Francis-Türkiye relationship evolved from early engagement to crisis and ultimately toward selective cooperation on shared international concerns, particularly regarding Middle East peace and religious values.
