At 19:12 (local time), the Ita Airways Airbus A320neo carrying Pope Leo XIV and his entourage landed at Istanbul-Atatürk International Airport.

The Pope, greeted on his arrival by some local authorities and by some children who offered him a bouquet of white flowers, will remain in Turkey (Türkiye) until Sunday, November 30, before traveling to Lebanon until December 2, on his first apostolic journey.

The Pope’s day in the Turkish capital began at 10:22 (local time) with the landing and official welcome by the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, followed by a visit to the Atatürk Mausoleum.

In the afternoon, Leo XIV moved to the Presidential Palace, where he was received by the President of the Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Following the welcoming ceremony and a private meeting, the Successor of Peter went to the National Library; there he met with representatives of the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, before delivering a speech.

He then went to the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), where he met with its president, Safi Arpaguş, for a brief discussion.

The last stop was a visit to the Apostolic Nunciature. From there, he departed for the capital’s airport. There was a slight delay to the scheduled departure time, as the Pope, upon leaving the Nunciature, slowed down to greet, from his car, the people gathered in front of a church.