Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Sahak Mashalian, has traveled to Ankara at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to attend an official reception organized in honor of the Pope, the Patriarchate of Constantinople has announced.
“As is known, on November 27, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, will arrive in Turkey, with Ankara as his first stop. On the same day, the President of the Republic of Turkey will host a reception in His Holiness’s honor, and His Beatitude has been invited to attend,” the statement reads.
Patriarch Mashalian is scheduled to return to Istanbul later the same night following the event.
Pope Leo XIV is visiting Turkey from November 27 to 30 at President Erdoğan’s invitation. He is expected to meet with Erdoğan to discuss Vatican–Turkey relations, the situation in Palestine, and broader regional and global developments.
On November 28, Pope Leo XIV will visit the Basilica of Nicaea (Iznik) and the Hagia Sophia Mosque. The visit marks the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.
