I want to encourage people to coexist peacefully

Pope Leo arrived at the Vatican on Thursday in Türkiye, the first stop on his first trip outside Italy since assuming the papacy.

Speaking to reporters on the plane from Rome, Liu said he wanted to use his first trip to encourage peace in the world and encourage people of all backgrounds to live together in harmony.

Pope Leo met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and also addressed political leaders in the capital, Ankara.

He will head to Istanbul, the seat of Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of about 260 million Orthodox Christians around the world.