The Pope in Turkey Amidst Christian Persecution in the Middle East

Pope Francis is the fourth pope in history to set foot in Turkey. Before him, Pope Benedict visited in 2006, Pope John Paul II in 1979, and Pope Paul VI in 1967, with each visit marking a new milestone in Christian-Muslim relations. Now it is Pope Francis's turn. He visits Turkey at a time when Christians in some Islamic countries are under more pressure than ever, and the emergence of groups like the 'Islamic Caliphate' has upended their lives. During this visit, which began on Friday and will continue until Sunday, the Pope condemned the attacks by Islamic Caliphate militants on Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. He also stated that while there is sufficient justification for military action against the Islamic Caliphate, the solution to ending fundamentalism lies in broader dialogue among Christians, Muslims, and followers of other religions; a position that Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasized and is fundamentally an advocate for increased dialogue among different religions. In his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the newly built presidential palace, he praised Turkey's efforts to shelter Syrian refugees. This is the Pope's second visit to the Middle East this year. In his first trip, he spent a night in Jordan before traveling to the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. However, this time he is visiting a country that holds special significance in the geography of Islamic identity in the world and is constantly mentioned alongside Iran and Saudi Arabia in the heart of the conflict involving the Islamic Caliphate. Mustafa Akyol, the author of the bestselling book 'Islam Without Extremism' who currently resides in Ankara, believes that the issue of the Islamic Caliphate is one of the main reasons for Pope Francis's recent visit to Turkey. He states: 'The previous pope also visited Turkey in 2006, which I believe was aimed – at least symbolically – at creating a dialogue between Muslims and Christians. After all, Turkey is one of the key countries in the Islamic world. Additionally, Turkey has another significance as there is a civil war occurring in neighboring Iraq and Syria, resulting in 1.6 million refugees seeking shelter in Turkey. I believe the Pope has come to Turkey first and foremost to visit an Islamic country and also to support the war-torn and refugees, including Christians from these countries. Especially since Christians in this region are pressured both by a regime like Bashar al-Assad's oppressive regime and by a group like the Islamic Caliphate, which exerts pressure in the name of Islam. Turkey opposes both – both dictatorship and Islamic fundamentalism – and in this regard, there is a consensus between Turkey and the Pope.' On Friday, the Pope visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey, and paid his respects. According to the Associated Press, he wrote in the guestbook at Atatürk's mausoleum: 'I hope that Turkey, which is naturally a bridge between two continents, will not only be a point of connection but also a place where men and women of various ethnicities, with different cultures and religions, can live together in harmony.' The vast majority of Turkey's population is Muslim, but at the same time, less than one percent of the country's citizens are Christian. Mustafa Akyol states that this is the second reason that has led the Pope to visit Turkey, as despite the small population of Christians in Turkey, their religious leader holds special significance in Christianity. This writer notes: 'After the Pope, the most important Christian leader in the world is based in Istanbul; the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, who leads all Eastern Orthodox Christians. Therefore, the Pope's visit or any Pope's visit to Istanbul is significant from this perspective, as he has the opportunity to meet with Orthodox colleagues and the leader of Eastern Christians.' In other words, Pope Francis, who has dedicated most of his speeches during this recent trip to bringing Christians and Muslims closer together, also has the opportunity during this visit to emphasize reducing the differences between Catholics and Orthodox Christians; an effort he has previously initiated and has met with the leader of the Orthodox Christians during his short tenure as the highest authority of the Catholic Church. Although he faces strong opposition from conservative Catholic clergy on issues such as LGBTQ rights or abortion, he has considerable authority in the context of conciliatory behavior towards followers of other religions and faiths (whether Jews, Muslims, or other Christian groups); authority that Pope Francis has linked to his high-profile trips to the Middle East, fostering pragmatic initiatives with the hope of achieving significant results in interfaith dialogue.