NEWS

On the third day of his visit to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV gave a sermon and celebrated Mass at the Maslak (İstanbul) Volkswagen Arena in front of thousands of people. Attendance at the sermon and Mass was high. Clergy from other Christian communities also joined the Pope on stage. Reservations for the sermon, which was a first, were filled days in advance.

Twenty patriarchs and clergy gathered in Iznik after 1700 years and prayed together with Pope Leo XIV in the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos. The spirit of "unity" signed in Iznik came to the fore once again after 1700 years.

Pope Leo XIV's "prayer meeting" at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit - Saint Esprit became a shared expression of enthusiasm that overflowed the cathedral and centuries-old faith. Hundreds of people witnessed the historic ceremony that transformed the Pope's "First Apostolic Journey" into a divine moment, as the spirit of "unity" from the First Council of Nicaea prevailed.

Pope Leo XIV, President of the Vatican City State and spiritual leader of Catholics, conveyed the message to journalists on the special plane flying to Ankara, "We hope to emphasize how important peace is for the whole world." The Pope, who was welcomed by clerics and ministers at Esenboğa Airport, visited Anıtkabir. The Pope, also welcomed with an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex, held a private meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Pope Leo XIV and President Tayyip Erdoğan, who held inter-delegation talks in Ankara as part of the Türkiye visit, addressed the guests. Erdoğan said, “I consider this visit to be a very important step strengthening our common ground.” The Pope stated, “May Türkiye be a source of stability and rapprochement among peoples in the service of a just and lasting peace.”

At a hearing in Baku, prosecutors requested life imprisonment for five former high-ranking Nagorno-Karabakh officials, including former President Arayik Harutyunyan. The other detainees face prison terms of up to 20 years.

Dr. Jamal Eltaeb, chief physician of Al Nao Hospital in Sudan, has been awarded the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, presented for the 10th time this year, for continuing to provide critical health services under civil war conditions and saving hundreds of lives.

Filming has begun on "Çatlı," a film about the life of Abdullah Çatlı directed by Onur Tan. It has emerged that Armenian actors from Türkiye were approached to play the role of an "ASALA militant" in the film, but the actors rejected the offer.

The official program has been announced for the first apostolic journey of Pope Leo XIV, spiritual leader of Catholics and Head of Vatican City State, scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 2, 2025.

Saint Joseph University of Beirut inaugurated the Ara Hrechdakian Chair of Armenian Studies on October 27, 2025, made possible through a generous donation from the Hrechdakian family. The Chair, operating within the university's Bibliothèque Orientale, will focus on research activities while organizing academic conferences, cultural workshops, and exhibitions, as well as offering courses in Armenian Studies. Actress Arsinée Khanjian has been appointed as Chairholder, and Dr. Vahe Tachjian will serve as Executive Director. The Chair plans to create a website devoted to Armenian communities in Lebanon and the Middle East, aiming to preserve family materials and reconstruct the memory of community life while engaging both Armenian and non-Armenian audiences.