Promotion of peace and stability in the region, reception of refugees and conditions of the Catholics in Turkey among the addressed issues. Francis gives the president a medallion of “an angel of peace chocking the demon of war”.
The conversation between the Pope and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - who arrived in Rome to speak with the Pontiff about Jerusalem after President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - lasted 50 minutes, longer than scheduled. A move, that of Trump, criticized by Francis as well as Erdogan and other Middle Eastern leaders. Bergoglio gave the Turkish President a medallion that, as he explained in Italian with the help of the translator, depicts “an angel of peace chocking the demon of war, symbol of a world based on peace and justice”.
President Erdogan is accompanied by his wife, the first lady Emine Erdogan, who wore a light colored veil on her head, his daughter Esra, his son-in-law Berat Albayrak, who is also Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, the Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Minister for Economic Affairs Nihat Zeybekci, the Minister for Defence, Nurettin Canikli and the Minister for Economic Affairs Nihat Zeybekci, Nurettin Canikli.
The conversation behind closed doors between the Pope and the Turkish President lasted 50 minutes, more than expected. As reported in a Vatican note, during the “cordial discussions” - which Erdogan had first with the Pontiff and then with Cardinal Parolin and Monsignor Gallagher - “the bilateral relations between the Holy See and Turkey were evoked, and the parties spoke about the situation of the country, the condition of the Catholic community, efforts in the reception of the many refugees and the challenges linked to this”. “Attention then turned to the situation in the Middle East, with particular reference to the status of Jerusalem, highlighting the need to promote peace and stability in the region through dialogue and negotiation, with respect for human rights and international law.”
Turkish press agency Anadolu reports that the Pope and Erdogan, spoke of the “importance of stressing the inconveniences caused by Trump’s decision on Jerusalem and pointed out that his decision should not be applied”. Also according to Anadolu, during the talks, the Turkish President and the Pope also discussed “joint efforts against xenophobia and Islamophobia” and the need to avoid “provocative statements that link Islam with terrorism”, Erdogan in particular insisted that “the equation terrorism and Islam” should not be made.
The meeting was scheduled for 9.30 a. m. but Erdogan arrived at the Vatican, with an impressive procession of more than twenty or so government cars, a few minutes after 9.30 a. m., slightly behind schedule. Queen Elizabeth of England, in 2014, was twenty minutes late, Russian President Vladimir Putin once arrived 70 minutes late in 2015, and was 50 minutes late with Benedict XVI in 2013. At 9.47 a. m. the Turkish President reached the hall of Sant’ Ambrogio and at 9.52 a. m. the Pope came out of his library to welcome him into the Sala del Tronetto. “Thank you so much for your interest”, Erdogan said to the Pope, who replied, “Thank you for your visit”. The conversation behind closed doors, in the presence of a Turkish interpreter and a Vatican interpreter lasted until 10:45 a. m., despite the fact that at 10:15 a. m. Francis had scheduled a meeting with the Chaldean bishops on his agenda.
At the time of the exchange of gifts, the Pope gave Erdogan - president of a state recently engaged in military operations in Syria against the Kurdish region of Afrin - a medallion that, as he explained in Italian with the help of the translator, depicts “an angel of peace that is chocking the demon of war, symbol of a world based on peace and justice”. “Grazie” (Thank you), the head of state of the Anatolian country replied in Italian. The angel - a Vatican note explains - illustrates the contemporary challenges: bringing together the northern and southern regions by harmonizing them while at the same time fighting all hostile forces such as exploitation, uncompromising opposition, new forms of colonialism, indifference, distrust and prejudice.
Francis then gave the Turkish president an ancient acquaforte print of the Basilica of St. Peter, a copy of the encyclical Laudato si’ and one of the Message of Peace dedicated this year to nonviolence. Erdogan, for his part, gave the Pontiff a large painting made of ceramic tiles representing Istanbul, he pointed out to the Pope some of the various monuments of the city (”Beautiful, beautiful”, commented Francis), and a box of four books in Italian by Rumi (Mevlana), a Sufi Muslim theologian and mystical poet of Persian origin of the eleventh century: his work Mesnevi and his biography. “Mystical Things “, the Pope added thanking him.
Francis then greeted the entire Turkish delegation of sixteen people – including four veiled women and two without veil – and exchanged some cordial words especially with the ambassador to the Holy See, and then remained one last moment with the president and his wife only. The Pontiff then accompanied the Turkish presidential couple to the door. “It was a pleasure meeting you” the first lady told him in English, and after the Pope responded, probably asking – as he usually does - to pray for him, Erdogan said “We too expect a prayer from you”. The Turkish President and his wife bid farewell by hinting a bow and holding their hand on their chest.
After the audience with the Pope and the following meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, flanked by the “Foreign Minister” of the Holy See, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife visited St. Peter’s Basilica.
Since last night, the entire Vatican area has been off-limits. As this morning early hours, safety measures have been at the highest level. The area in front of St. Peter’s Square and the entire Via della Conciliazione have also been limited to authorized personnel only. About 3,500 police officers are in Rome to ensure Erdogan a safe and sound visit.
At 11:00 a protest demonstration was scheduled against Erdogan’s presence in Rome at Castel Sant’ Angelo, not far from the Vatican, with the participation of Kurdish associations but also delegations from the National Federation of the Italian press and the association “Article 21”.
The last Turkish president who visited the Vatican was Celal Bayar, who in 1959 was received by John XXIII - who had been apostolic delegate in Turkey from 1934 to 1943 - when there were still no bilateral diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Holy See, officialized in 1960. Erdogan received the Pope in Ankara in November 2014. After Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem, Erdogan and the Pope spoke on t the phone twice.
According to a note issued yesterday by the Turkish Embassy in Italy, in the Vatican, Erdogan would have spoken of “Turkish-Vatican relations, developments concerning Jerusalem, regional problems, the humanitarian tragedy in Syria”, where the Turkish military operation “Olive Branch”, the fight against terrorism, xenophobia and Islamophobia has been under way in Afrin since 20 January”.
After meeting with the Pope, the Turkish President will go to the Quirinale for a breakfast meeting with the Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, which will be followed in the afternoon by a meeting at Palazzo Chigi with the Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni. In the evening, a working dinner will be held with the top managers of the main Italian companies, before returning to Istanbul.
As proof of the centrality role of the Vatican visit for the Turkish President, to welcome Erdogan at Fiumicino airport, yesterday evening, in addition to the Turkish ambassador to the Quirinale Murat Salim Esenli and the head of the diplomatic ceremonial of the Italian Republic Riccardo Guariglia, were present also the Turkish ambassador to the Holy See, Mehmet Pacaci, and the head of the protocol of the Vatican Secretariat of State, Monsignor José Avelino Bettencourt.
After the audience with the Turkish President, Pope Francis received the Chaldean bishops on their “ad limina apostolorum” visit. Among them, Francois Yakan, patriarchal administrator of Diarbekir of the Chaldeans, area with Kurdish majority in Turkey, founder in 2005 of the humanitarian NGO “Kader”, which works in Turkey to assist refugees of every religion and ethnicity. The group is led by Patriarch Louis Raphale Sako, who has already attended a conference in Rome in recent days “Tackling violence committed in the name of religion”, to which the Pope said, among other things, “Our mission as Christians and Muslims in the Middle East is to educate our peoples to pursue peace, first and foremost by living together in harmony.”
