Pope Leo tells Turkish first lady he might visit Turkey in November, presidency says
ISTANBUL and VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo told Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan that he aims to visit Turkey at the end of November, according to a readout of their meeting at the Vatican on Wednesday by the Turkish presidency.
The pope, who held an official meeting with the wife of President Tayyip Erdogan at the Vatican's apostolic palace, told her that officials from Ankara and Vatican were working on the details of the visit, the presidency said in a statement.
The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the first lady's statement.
Leo, elected on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, has not yet announced any foreign trips.
Francis had been planning a trip to Turkey before his death to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of an early Church council with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Leo has been widely expected to take the trip in Francis' stead.
Bartholomew previously told an Italian television station that he and Leo discussed the possibility of the new pope travelling to Turkey in late November. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Russian attack hit energy facilities in central Ukraine, Ukrainian energy ministry says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox KYIV - Ukraine's energy ministry said on Tuesday an overnight Russian attack hit energy facilities in the central Ukrainian region of Poltava, causing large fires. The ministry said a gas transport facility was targeted by several dozen drones, which caused damage. "Russian occupation forces launched another massive attack on energy infrastructure facilities in the Poltava region, using cruise missiles and strike drones simultaneously. The attack resulted in large-scale fires," the ministry said on Telegram. The ministry did not specify what other facilities besides gas infrastructure were attacked. Russia's Interfax news agency reported that the defence ministry had carried out a strike on an oil refinery that was supplying fuel to Ukrainian armed forces. The Poltava region is home to Ukraine's only oil refinery, Kremenchuk, which has been repeatedly attacked by both drones and missiles. Local media and Kremenchuk's mayor published videos of city neighbourhoods against a smoke-filled sky. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore What led to Changi Airport runway incident involving 2 China Eastern Airlines planes in Aug 2024 Singapore Fairprice apologises after woman finds worm in salmon bought from Bedok North outlet Singapore CPIB nabs 9 suspects for alleged match-fixing in national basketball league Singapore Live Singapore-raised seafood on sale at 3 Giant supermarkets from Aug 19 Singapore Singapore seals carbon credit deal with Thailand, its first South-east Asian partner Asia Singaporean man sentenced to 72 years' jail in Malaysia for murdering wife and stepson Singapore Court to assess if teen who advertised vapes for sale on WhatsApp can receive probation Kyiv authorities have not reported whether the refinery is operational. The ministry noted on Tuesday that Russia attacked Ukrainian oil refining infrastructure twice in June. Russia has launched massive attacks on Ukrainian oil depots and fuel storage facilities since the first days of the war. As a result, Ukraine's fuel needs were completely covered by imports, mainly from European countries. The ministry said that Ukrainian energy facilities had been attacked 2,900 times since March 2025 alone. Russia has repeatedly said it does not attack civilian infrastructure. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Israel studying Hamas reply to Gaza ceasefire proposal
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: An aerial view from a Jordanian military aircraft shows the Gaza Strip, before humanitarian aid is airdropped over it, in Gaza, August 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni/File Photo JERUSALEM/CAIRO - Israel is studying Hamas' response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal, two officials said on Tuesday of a potential deal for a 60-day truce and the release of half the Israeli hostages still held in the battered enclave. Efforts to pause the fighting gained new momentum over the past week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, and Egypt and Qatar have been pushing to restart indirect talks between the sides on a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan. The proposal includes the release of 200 Palestinian convicts jailed in Israel and an unspecified number of imprisoned women and minors, in return for 10 living and 18 deceased hostages from Gaza, according to a Hamas official. Two Egyptian security sources confirmed the details, and added that Hamas has requested the release of hundreds of Gaza detainees as well. The proposal includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, which presently control 75% of Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid into the enclave, where a population of 2.2 million people is increasingly facing famine. The last round of indirect talks between the sides ended in deadlock in July, with the sides trading blame for the collapse. Israel had previously agreed to the outline, advanced by U.S. special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, but negotiations faltered over some of its details. Israel's plans to seize control of Gaza City in the heart of the Palestinian enclave have since stirred alarm abroad and among the estimated one million people presently living there. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore What led to Changi Airport runway incident involving 2 China Eastern Airlines planes in Aug 2024 Singapore Singapore seals carbon credit deal with Thailand, its first South-east Asian partner Singapore CPIB nabs 9 suspects for alleged match-fixing in national basketball league Singapore Live Singapore-raised seafood on sale at 3 Giant supermarkets from Aug 19 Asia Singaporean man sentenced to 72 years' jail in Malaysia for murdering wife and stepson Singapore Court to assess if teen who advertised vapes for sale on WhatsApp can receive probation Life Local indie theatre The Projector ceases operations from Aug 19 after a decade On the ground, there were no signs of a ceasefire nearing as Israeli gunfire, tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians on Tuesday, according to Gaza health officials. Tanks completed taking control of the Zeitoun suburb, an eastern neighbourhood on Gaza City's outskirts, and continued to pound the nearby area of Sabra, killing two women and a man, medics said. Local health authorities said dozens of people had been trapped in their houses because of the shelling. The Israeli military said it was checking the report. ISRAELI PROTESTERS DEMAND DEAL On Friday, it said its forces were operating in nearby Zeitoun to locate weapons, tunnels and gunmen. "It has been one of the worst nights in Sabra and Gaza City as the explosions are heard throughout the city," said Nasra Ali, 54, a mother of five, who lives in Sabra. "I was planning to leave my house when I heard there is a possible ceasefire. I might stay for a day or two, if nothing happens, then I will run away with my kids," she told Reuters via a chat app. Thousands of people are estimated to have fled the area in the past few days. In Israel, the threatened offensive prompted tens of thousands of Israelis on Sunday to hold some of the largest protests since the war began, urging a deal to end the fighting and free the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene discussions about the ceasefire proposal soon, the two Israeli officials said. He faces pressure from his far-right government partners who object to a truce with Hamas. Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have called for Israel to keep the war going until Hamas' defeat, and annex Gaza. Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said that the truce proposal it has agreed to is an interim accord that would pave the way for negotiations on ending the war. A source close to the talks said that, unlike previous rounds, Hamas accepted the proposal with no further demands. But prospects for agreeing an end to the war appear remote, with gaps remaining on the terms. Israel is demanding the group lay down its arms and its leaders leave Gaza, conditions which Hamas has so far publicly rejected. The war began when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, plunged Gaza into humanitarian crisis and displaced most its population. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Car set ablaze outside Turkish parliament before meeting on PKK disarmament
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox ANKARA - A car was set ablaze near Turkey's parliament on Tuesday in a grim reminder of decades of conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), just hours before families of some victims were to address a commission overseeing the group's disarmament. The PKK, which took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984, said in May it would disarm and dissolve. The parliamentary commission was launched this month to set a path towards lasting peace, which would also resonate in neighbouring Iraq and Syria. The white Renault Toros burned for a short time outside parliament's main gate on Tuesday morning. Police in Ankara said in a statement that a man detained for setting it alight suffered from psychological problems and also had a prior criminal record. In the 1990s, during one of the bloodiest phases of the PKK conflict, such vehicles became notorious in the mainly Kurdish southeast where they were linked to abductions and extrajudicial killings blamed on state-linked groups. More than 40,000 people were killed in the fighting over more than four decades. Families of security personnel and civilians killed in the conflict are due to speak at the parliamentary commission on Tuesday, with some expected to question the peace effort. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies. Its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, had urged it to end the insurgency and some militants burned their weapons last month in a ceremony in northern Iraq - where they are now based - marking a symbolic first step. REUTERS
