Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday praised Pope Francis as a champion of interfaith dialogue and humanitarian concern following the pontiff’s death at the age of 88.
“A respected statesman, Pope Francis was a spiritual leader who put great importance on dialogue between different faith groups,” Erdoğan said in a post on X. He added that the pope also took the initiative in the face of global humanitarian tragedies, “especially the Palestinian issue.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, became the first Latin American pope when he was elected in 2013. During his papacy, he prioritized outreach to Muslims, Jews and other religious communities, often stressing mutual understanding and peace. In 2019 he made a historic visit to the United Arab Emirates, becoming the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, where he co-signed a landmark document on human fraternity with the grand imam of al-Azhar.
Francis was also a vocal advocate for Palestinians, repeatedly calling for peace and the protection of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. His remarks often drew praise from Muslim-majority countries.