Following the attacks in Lebanon and Iran, the President of Turkey has asked Pope Francis to put pressure on Israel's allied countries in order to end the attacks.
The Pope and the President spoke on the phone and the Turkish government claims that its president emphasized the things that unite it with the Vatican. For example: he condemned the controversial scene at the Paris Olympics and said “it is necessary to raise our voices together and take a common stand.”
Pope Francis and President Erdogan last saw each other at the G7 Summit, although they have had regular communication throughout Francis' pontificate. In May 2020, they spoke about tensions in the Middle East. And one of Francis' first trips was to Turkey, where the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is located.
At times, the Turkish president has also made decisions that did not please some Christian communities, especially the Orthodox. For example: in 2020 he ordered the conversion of the Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque.
JRB
TR: AT
