Pope Leo XIV’s First Official Visit to Turkey Raises Questions About Turkey’s Handling of Christian Sites and Heritage

Pope Leo XIV has announced his first official visit to Iznik, Turkey, to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. While the visit has been framed as a gesture of interfaith dialogue and historical commemoration, it has also stirred controversy over Turkey’s portrayal of its role in early Christianity.

The First Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine I, was a pivotal event in the development of Christian doctrine. It was here that the Nicene Creed was established, affirming that Jesus Christ is of the same substance as God the Father and rejecting the Arian heresy. The council took place in Nicaea, now known as Iznik, a city that was not part of Turkey but rather a center of the Byzantine Empire.

However, Turkish media outlets and government officials have attempted to position Turkey as a historic “bridge between civilizations and faiths,” emphasizing the country’s supposed foundational role in early Christianity. Critics argue that this narrative is historically inaccurate and serves to obscure the fact that modern Turkey occupies what was once the heartland of Greek and Armenian Christian civilization.

Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, criticized Turkish media’s portrayal of the visit as an affirmation of Turkey’s religious tolerance. In a statement, he highlighted the contradiction between Turkey’s current policies toward its Christian heritage and the narrative it is attempting to construct around the papal visit.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has repeatedly listed Turkey as a country of concern for severe violations of religious freedom. The Turkish government has forcibly converted historic Christian sites, such as Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church, from museums back into mosques. Meanwhile, the Halki Seminary, a historic Orthodox Christian institution, has remained closed since 1971, despite repeated calls for its reopening.

For the Armenian community, the papal visit to Iznik is a poignant reminder of a broader trend of historical erasure. Many Armenian churches, schools, and cultural sites in Turkey have been destroyed, converted, or left in ruins. In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan controversially held prayers at Hagia Sophia, a former Greek Orthodox cathedral, shortly after it was reconverted into a mosque.

Pope Leo XIV’s visit is expected to focus on Christian unity and the commemoration of the Nicene Creed. However, observers question whether the Vatican will address the ongoing marginalization of Christian communities in Turkey. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of the global Orthodox Church, is expected to play a central role in welcoming the Pope. The two leaders are anticipated to deliver a message of reconciliation and unity, though the political undertones of the visit are likely to remain contentious.