Pope Leo denounces \u2018might is right\u2019 in address to Turkish authorities Pope Leo XIV opened his first international trip on Thursday with a sweeping call for unity, renewed dialogue, and a rejection of the global drift toward division and violence. Speaking in Turkey\u2019s capital of Ankara on Nov. 27 during his formal welcome by President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan, the pope said he hoped Turkey could be \u201ca source of stability and rapprochement between peoples\u201d and serve the cause of a \u201cjust and lasting peace.\u201d He described the country as \u201cinextricably linked to the origins of Christianity\u201d and a land that invites a fraternity \u201cthat recognizes and appreciates differences.\u201d Launching a six-day trip that will also take him to Lebanon, the pope said the region\u2019s peoples can help remind the world that peace, human dignity, and fraternity \u201care the only sure foundations for our common future.\u201d The massive Presidential Palace where he spoke has become a symbol of Turkey\u2019s contemporary political authority since Erdo\u011fan inaugurated it in 2014. Bombed during the failed 2016 coup attempt, it remains the seat from which Erdo\u011fan has shaped the country\u2019s domestic and international posture. Before his meeting with Erdo\u011fan, the pope paid his respects at the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Atat\u00fcrk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. In his remarks welcoming Leo, Erdo\u011fan praised the cultural openness and interreligious harmony of Turkish society and his country’s commitment to peace and humanitarian assistance, citing its welcome to refugees from Syria’s long civil war. In his speech, the pope rejected the mentality of \u201cmight is right,\u201d urging a renewed \u201cculture of encounter\u201d to counter what he described as a growing \u201cglobalization of indifference.\u201d Justice and mercy, he said, must guide political and social life. He also warned that artificial intelligence risks entrenching existing inequalities because it \u201csimply reproduces our own preferences,\u201d and appealed for cooperation to \u201crepair the damage already done to the unity of our human family.\u201d Recalling his predecessor\u2019s description of today\u2019s conflicts as \u201ca third world war fought piecemeal,\u201d Pope Leo cautioned: \u201cWe must not give in to this! The future of humanity is at stake.\u201d He said the Vatican seeks to work with all nations committed to the integral development of each person. Calling Turkey a \u201ccrossroads of sensibilities,\u201d the pope emphasized that the country\u2019s social vitality depends on plurality. \u201cUniformity would be an impoverishment,\u201d he said, warning that communities today risk becoming \u201cpolarized and torn by extreme positions.\u201d Reflecting on the journey\u2019s emblem \u2014 a bridge spanning the Dardanelles \u2014 he said it symbolizes not only a link between Asia and Europe but also a deeper call to unity: \u201cIt connects Turkey to itself.\u201d Pope Leo recalled Saint John XXIII, remembered locally as the \u201cTurkish Pope\u201d because he spent nearly a decade as a Vatican diplomat in Turkey before becoming pontiff and worked to ensure Catholics were not marginalized in the early decades of the republic. Echoing the saint\u2019s teaching, Leo dismissed isolationism as \u201ca false logic.\u201d He also highlighted the contributions of women to society and international life and underscored the importance of the family, where \u201cwithout the \u2018other\u2019 there is no \u2018I\u2019.\u201d Turning to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the primary impetus for his visit, which will include ecumenical meetings and worship with Eastern Orthodox leaders, the pope said the historic 4th-century gathering still speaks of encounter and sustained dialogue. Turkey has played roles in several regional conflicts in recent years, including involvement in the Syrian war and support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia. At the same time, Ankara has taken part in diplomatic efforts, including mediating between Russia and Ukraine and influencing ceasefire discussions involving Hamas. Pope Leo was scheduled to continue on by air to Istanbul following the speech, and had no further public events planned for Thursday. LIVE updates: Follow Pope Leo XIV\u2019s first Apostolic Journey to T\u00fcrkiye (Turkey) and Lebanon This article was originally published by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Elias Turk Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. 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