Pope Leo is preparing to make his first foreign trip since his election in May, with the Vatican and the Turkish presidency saying they are working on a late-November visit to Türkiye. The pontiff relayed the plan during a meeting at the Vatican with Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan, according to a statement from Ankara. Details of the itinerary are still being finalised by officials from both sides, but the journey is expected to take up a programme originally conceived by the late Pope Francis to mark the 1,700th anniversary of an early Church council. Francis had intended to travel alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, who has publicly discussed the prospect of joining Leo in Türkiye. A trip to Türkiye would underscore the new pope’s emphasis on inter-religious dialogue and could strengthen ties between the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox community and the Muslim-majority nation. The Vatican has not yet issued a formal schedule or confirmation, but Ankara says discussions are progressing toward the targeted November timeframe.