Joint Press Conference with Vatican President Pope Leo XIV

The spiritual leader of the Catholic world, Vatican State President, Pope Leo XIV, representatives of the diplomatic missions in our country, dear guests, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of myself, my country and my nation, I extend my warmest greetings to you. I am very pleased to have Pope Leo XIV and his delegation as guests in our country. Once again, I would like to welcome our esteemed guest and his delegation to our country. I find it very meaningful that they embark on their first overseas trip to Turkey after starting their mission. I sincerely hope that this exceptional visit will strengthen the friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between Turkey and the Vatican. I believe with all my heart that the messages that will be given from Turkey during the visit, will reach the Turkish-Islamic world, the entire Christian geography, and will further increase the hopes of peace in the world. The visit of our esteemed guest corresponds to an extremely critical time in terms of regional and global events. I hope and wish that this visit, which is accelerated by humanity's search for direction, will be a means of good for all humanity during a period of tension from Asia to Africa, Latin America to Eastern Europe. Indeed, today, in our fruitful bilateral meeting, we shared our observations and common expectations on the establishment of global peace and stability. In addition to our bilateral meetings, we also discussed the current issues that concern humanity's common conscience. We also drew attention to the importance of eliminating the reasons that force people to migrate. I was personally delighted to see that we met around an approach that prioritizes peace, prioritizes justice, and takes into account mercy, such as conflicts, humanitarian crises, poverty, injustice and climate change. Dear friends, First of all, I would like to draw the bottom line here. As Turkey, we are the only country in the world that has a western border with the east in the heart of the three continents. We have an exceptional position between different cultures and beliefs that unify the east and the west. As I emphasize at every opportunity, we are a country that takes its inspiration from the Seljuk eagle, whose face and direction are both east and west. In these lands, which have been our homeland for thousands of years, people of all races, religions, sects and origins have lived freely without any concern or pressure. When you go to Istanbul, Hatay, Mardin, Diyarbakır and many other cities, you see churches and synagogues side by side with the mosques. In Istanbul, there is the Aya İrini Museum and the Neveşalon Synagogue. In Trabzon, there is the Sümele Monastery. In Banda, there is the Akdamar Museum and many more. These are just a few of the witnesses of our shared life culture. Since 2002, we have completed the restoration of nearly 100 churches, monasteries and shrines. I personally participated in the opening of some of them. We aim to open five more works of worship by the end of the year. We consider cultural, religious and ethnic differences as a source of wealth, not as an element of discrimination. No matter what our language, religion, sect or ethnic origin is, the first class of the Republic of Turkey is a citizen. We do not allow even a single person to be discriminated against. On the basis of this, we have a concept of civilization that loves creation more than the creator, loves the universe with love and compassion. 700 years ago, how did Yunus Emre call out to humanity? Even if he is a teacher to the people who do not look at all that has been created with one eye, he is rebellious in reality. In the same way, Hazrat Mevlana used to say in Divan-ı Kebir, All people have the same soul, but the bodies are hundreds of thousands. There are various languages ​​in the world, but they all have the same meaning. Dear friends, The visit to Turkey, where our esteemed guest has illuminated the same sky of different faiths, is a meaningful means of attracting attention to both our country's special position and our common values. As the inheritors of a history in which different cultures and civilizations live side by side and in peace, we do and will do whatever we can to spread global peace and stability. The Entry of the Civilizations Alliance, which advanced under the roof of the United Nations, which we took the first step as Turkey and Spain, is the most solid example of our sensitivity. The Entry of the Civilizations Alliance, which advanced under the roof of the United Nations, is not only in the name of our country, but also in the name of all humanity, which is very encouraging and hopeful. As it was 20 years ago, the conflict around us today takes responsibility against crises and cruelties. We put our hands under the stone for peace, justice and stability, not the easy one, but the difficult one. We are one of the countries that provide the most humane assistance in the world in terms of national income. For 13.5 years, we have hosted more than 3.6 million Syrian brothers and sisters. As in Syria, we opened the door to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, especially to children victims of war. We have taken many steps to bring the parties together on a common ground from the Black Sea-Tahrir Initiative to prisoner and funeral exchanges. In recent days, Russia has been closely following the movement to end the war in Ukraine. We are trying to provide the necessary support and contribution. The calls for peace and dialogue of our esteemed guests are extremely valuable in terms of the success of the diplomatic process. Justice for everyone, prosperity for everyone, peace for everyone, peace for everyone. These are our goals and what we want to achieve. We will continue to work in the direction of establishing a just and permanent peace in the guidance of the wisdom in the words that it is not worth a drop of blood to be shed all over the world. Dear friends, There is a Palestinian issue in the heart of the permanent peace climate in our region. Most children and women have witnessed this painful reality once again in the attacks for more than two years in which more than 70,000 Gazans were killed. The Israeli government has been bombing the places of civilian settlement where churches, mosques, hospitals and schools are located for months. One of the places where Israel bombed was the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in Gaza. I would like to convey my wishes to them again on this occasion. I would like to know that our esteemed guests and the Salafis, especially those who are resistant to the Palestinian issue, are always welcome. As a family of humanity, our greatest debt to the Palestinian people is justice. The way to pay this debt is to implement the two-state solution vision as early as possible on the basis of the 1967 borders. For this, first of all, the ceasefire in Gaza must be contained, the security of civilians must be ensured, and humanitarian aid must be delivered to Gaza without interruption. In the same way, it is very important to preserve the historical status quo in Jerusalem. I believe that we will continue to act together against all kinds of excessive actions that will damage the historical identity of East Jerusalem. It is also useful to say that Turkey encourages 99% of its citizens to respect all beliefs, including Christian communities, as a Muslim country. Together with our country, we pay great importance to the preservation of temples, historical works, culture and ancient heritage based on faith in all of our region. We support the steps that our neighbor Syria has taken on the path of a country where different beliefs, cultures, sects and ethnic origins live in peace. We welcome the call of our esteemed guest to ensure that the international community does not leave Syria alone. This is a fact that intolerance causes conflict, and conflict causes separation, hatred and violence. The Islamic hostility and foreign hostility that is increasing in the West is a manifestation of this vicious cycle. Media, social media and populist politicians deliberately or unknowingly instill racist and discriminatory perceptions against Muslims. We must keep in mind that this sensitive issue, which is often overlooked due to political concerns, may reach more serious dimensions tomorrow. As Turkey, we have been paying attention to this threat and danger for a long time. After the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church, we pay great attention to the concept of developing good relations with members of other religions. It was important that the late Pope Francis did not give precedence to his controversial statements, which affected the religious circles of the Cold War. The document on human brotherhood, which he signed at the time, opened a new chapter. I consider the visit of our esteemed guest to the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul as a sign of his will to develop constructive relations with Muslims. I follow his strong messages for the protection of his family in the face of increasing threats. We all know this very well. Allah Almighty created man from a man and a woman and created them as races and societies to meet and join with each other. Therefore, if we cannot protect the family, we cannot protect the individual. If we cannot protect the individual, we cannot protect the consciousness of being human. In this sense, I would like to express once again today that we all have very important tasks. Undoubtedly, our common sides, our similar sides, are beyond contradictions and divisions. No matter what belief we have, we are all members of the great family of humanity. The world we live in is entrusted to us by the generations to come, as well as being a test for the servants of Allah. We have a responsibility to protect this trust and pass it on to the generations to come. Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says that Allah does not have mercy on those who do not have mercy on people. We are in a process where we need to stand on mercy more than ever. I believe that we can take a path to peace, peace and security in the measure that we look at people and the world with a merciful gaze. I consider this visit to be a very important step in strengthening our common ground. With these thoughts, I would like to thank the spiritual leader of the Catholic world, President of the Vatican State, Pope Leo XIV, on behalf of my nation. I would like to welcome him and his committee back to Turkey. I wish that this meaningful visit will be a means of good for all humanity. I wish peace, peace and prosperity to the Catholic world. I greet you all with love and respect. Stay healthy. With your kind permission, I respectfully invite His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on stage. Thank you very much. Mr. President, distinguished authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your kind welcome. I am pleased to begin the apostolic journeys of my pontificate with a visit to your country. This land is inextricably linked to the origins of Christian Christianity. Today it beckons the children of Abraham and all humanity of fraternity that recognizes and appreciates differences. The natural beauty of your country encourages us to protect God's creation. Moreover, the cultural, artistic and spiritual richness of the places you inhabit reminds us that when different generations, traditions and ideas meet, great civilizations are forged in which development and wisdom are drawn together into unity. On the one hand, it is true that human history has some series of conflict behind it and that the world around us is still destabilized by ambitions and choices that trample on justice and freedom. At the same time, when faced with challenges, being a people with such a great past is both a gift and a responsibility. The image of the bridge over the Dardanelles Strait, chosen as the logo for my journey, eloquently expresses your country's special role. You have an important place in both the present and future of the Mediterranean and of the whole world. Above all, I value your internal diversity. Even before linking Asia with Europe, East with West, this bridge connects Turkey to itself. It combines different parts of the country, making it from within, as it were, crossroads of sensibilities. In such a case, uniformity would be an impoverishment. Indeed, if a society is alive, it has a plurality. But what makes it a civil society are the bridges that link its people together. Yet today, human communities are increasingly polarized and torn apart by extreme positions and dragons of power. I wholeheartedly assure you that Christians desire to contribute positively to the unity of your country. Christians living in your country are also Turks, and they are part of the Turkish identity. Indeed, the Turkish Pope, who you know as the deep friendship that always bound you to your people, was an administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Istanbul and Apostolic Delegate in Turkey and graced from 1935 to 1945 and worked tirelessly to ensure that Catholics did not exclude themselves from the unifying development of your new republic. He wrote during those years that here in this nation, he wrote, we Latin Catholics of Istanbul and Catholics of other rites, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Syrian, etc., are a modest minority living on the surface of the vast world in which we have only limited time. We like to distinguish ourselves from those who do not suppress our faith. We are an Orthodox Brotherhood, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, believers in non-believers of other religions. It seems logical that everyone should mind their own business, their own family or national traditions and be within the limited circle of their own community. My dear brothers and sisters, my dear children, I must tell you that in the light of gospel and Catholic principles, this is a false logic. Since then, great strides have undoubtedly been made in your church and in your society. But those words still resonate strongly in our day and continue to inspire a more evangelical and genuine way of thinking, which Pope Francis calls culture and counseling. Indeed, from the very heart of the Mediterranean, my venerable predecessor opposes the globalization of indifference by inviting us to feel the pain of others and to listen to the cry of the poor. He thus encouraged us to compassionate action, which is a reflection of the one God in which merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and the boundless steadfast love. The imagery of the Great Bridge is also helpful in this sense. For God, in revealing himself, established a bridge between heaven and earth. He did so in order that our hearts might change, becoming like his. It is a vast suspension bridge, almost defying the laws of physics. Likewise, in addition to its intimate and private aspects, love too has a visible and public dimension. In addition, justice and mercy are also right to be strong in the mind, and it requires that compassion and solidarity be considered as the authentic criteria for development. For this reason, in a society like the one here in Turkey, where religion plays a visible role, it is essential to honor the dignity and freedom of all God's children, both men and women, fellow nationals and foreigners, poor and wealthy. We are all children of God, and this has personal, social, and political implications. Those with hearts docile to the will of God always promote the common good whose prestigious local policies and international relations, especially in the face of technological developments, would otherwise exacerbate injustice instead of helping to overcome it. Even artificial intelligence simply re-frequencies our own preferences and accelerates processes when we look at the work of the machine, but of humanity itself. Let us work together, therefore, to change the trajectory of development and repair the damage to the unity of our human family. Ladies and gentlemen, I just mentioned the human family. This metaphor invites us to establish a connection, once again, a bridge, between our common destiny, the experiences of each individual, and each one of us. The family was the first nucleus of social life, which we learned that without the other, there is no I. The family retains a great importance in Turkish culture, and there is no shortage of initiatives to support its centrality. The etiquette is essential for civil coexistence, but the initial and fundamental sensitivities to the common good mature precisely within the family. Of course, every family can also close in on itself, cultivate hostility, or prevent some of its members from expressing themselves to the point of hindering the development of their talents. Nevertheless, people do not obtain greater opportunities or happiness in an individualistic culture, nor by showing contempt for marriage or shunning openness to life. Moreover, consumerist economies are deceptive, in that loneliness becomes a business, which responds to this with a culture that appreciates affection and personal connection. For it is only together that we can become our authentic selves. Only through love does our inner life become profound, and our identity becomes strong. Those who scorn fundamental human ties, and fail to learn how to bear even their limitations and fragility, or easily become intolerant, become incapable of interacting with our complex world. At the same time, it is within family love that the value of conjugal love and the contribution of women emerge in a very specific way. Women, in particular, through their studies and active participation in professional, cultural, and political lives are increasingly placing themselves at the service of human needs and the positive influence of the international community. We must greatly validate the important initiatives of this regard, which support the family and the contribution that women make by the full flower of a possible life. Mr. President, may Turkey be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples in service of a just and lasting peace. This is the words of the four popes, Paul VI in 1967, John Paul VII in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006, and Francis in 2014, to show that the Holy See not only maintains cooperation with the Republic of the United States, but also desires to cooperate in building a better world with the contribution of this country, which is a bridge between East and West, between Asia and Europe, and between cultures and religions. In particular, the occasion of my own visit, the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Iznik, speaks to us of the encounter and dialogue. It does the fact that the first eight ecumenical councils were held in the lands of the President. Today, more than ever, we need people who will promote dialogue and practice it with strong will and patient resolve. In the aftermath of the tragedies of the Cold War, we saw the building of large international organizations and now experiencing failure, marked by heightened levels of conflict and global power, fueled by prevailing strategies of economic and military power. This is the name that Pope Francis called the Third World War of Peacebuilding. We must in no way give in to this. The future of humanity is at stake. The energy and resources absorbed by this destructive dynamic required from the real challenges that the human family should instead be facing together today, namely peace, the fight against hunger and poverty, health and education, and the protection of freedom and the Holy See. With only its spiritual and moral strength, it wishes to cooperate with all nations that have at heart the integral development of each and every person. Let us walk together then, in truth, in friendship, in holy trust, and in holiness now. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, this marks the end of our special program. Thank you very much.