Pope Leo arrives in Turkey, as start of first foreign trip of his papacy

Pope Leo XIV arrived Thursday in Turkey, marking the start of the first foreign trip of his papacy.

Leo says the trip is to commemorate a key ecumenical anniversary that is important for Christians and to try to spread his broader message of peace around the world.

Leo was welcomed on to Turkey, at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, by a military guard of honor, according to ABC News. 

He plans to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and deliver a speech to the country’s diplomatic corps. Later in the day, the pope will go to Istanbul for three days of ecumenical and interfaith meetings. After the meeting, Leo will go to Lebanon for the second leg of his trip.