Pope Leo XIV’s first international visit to Turkey, and particularly to İznik, the place where humanity questioned the foundations of belief 1700 years ago, is no coincidence. İznik is not merely a city; it is a crossroads of history, faith, debate, and reflection. And the question once asked here centuries ago still echoes today:

“Is unity possible?”

Welcomed in Ankara by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pope Leo stated that the world is facing “a global conflict fueled by economic and military power strategies.” Echoing the words of his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, he said: “The Third World War is being fought piecemeal.” He added, “We must not yield to this. The future of humanity is at risk.”
Yet the Pope was referring not only to tanks, missiles, or battlefields. He spoke of something deeper: the conflicts within the human heart polarisation, alienation, and mistrust that shape societies from within. His remedy was dialogue, understanding, and unity.

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1700 Years Ago in İznik…

AD 325. The Roman Empire is shaken by escalating theological disputes. Emperor Constantine summons bishops from across the empire to İznik (Nicaea). The aim: to resolve the divisions, establish doctrinal clarity, and restore unity.

In İznik, Church leaders agreed that Jesus was neither created nor born, but of the same essence as God, affirming the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one essence in three persons. They also established a unified date for Easter, symbolising spiritual and communal unity.

Those who came to İznik as religious representatives returned as both religious and political figures. From that moment, the line between faith and power began to fade, and a shared journey commenced.

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Today, Are We Still Asking the Same Question?
Does faith shape politics, or does politics shape faith?

Seventeen centuries have passed. Yet the world still grapples with deep divisions based on power, identity, and belief. Religion, once a force of peace, is too often wielded as a weapon.

In the midst of global fragmentation, Pope Leo XIV chooses to speak once again from İznik, where unity was once reimagined.

Pope’s Message from İznik: Let Religion Not Justify Violence, But Inspire Peace
Standing on the shores of Lake İznik, the Pope delivered a sentence that resonates far beyond any single religion:
“Those who use religion to legitimise violence and fanaticism betray the very essence of faith.”
This message is directed not only at the Christian world, but at all who exploit religion as a political tool, use faith as an identity shield, or wield belief as a weapon of division.

His visits to Turkey were deeply symbolic:

Anıtkabir: Respect to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding leader who founded the Republic of Türkiye on secular, democratic and legal values.

Sultanahmet Mosque: Interfaith closeness

İznik: Return to the roots of peace

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Today’s İznik Question: Can Unity Stop War?
Humanity is fragmented, not only among nations but within societies, communities, and even families. Ideology, ethnicity, belief, and identity have become lines of separation.
Yet İznik reminds us of something profound:
Unity is not born from speeches, but from conscience.
Dialogue, as the Pope emphasises, is not merely speaking.
It is listening, understanding—and sometimes staying silent.
Can Peace Truly Be Achieved?
Perhaps there is no definitive answer.
But there is certainly a place to begin:
Through dialogue. Through listening. Through curiosity instead of judgment. Through unity.
Real peace may not begin at political tables,
but in shared meals, open hearts, classrooms, places of worship, and neighbourhoods.
The idea born in İznik 1700 years ago may now be blooming again.
And humanity once more asks:
“Can we build dialogue, unity, and peace?”