Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Pope Francis in Rome on Sunday for talks that were expected to center on Jerusalem and U.S. President Donald Trump's official recognition of the city as the capital of Israel.
Erdogan's visit is the first to the Vatican by a Turkish president in 59 years.
Erdogan clashed with the pope in 2015, when Francis became the first head of the Roman Catholic Church to publicly label the 1915 killing of as many as 1.5 million Armenians "genocide" – something Turkey has categorically denied.
But the two men have found common ground over Jerusalem, speaking by phone after Trump made his announcement in December and agreeing that any change to the city's status should be avoided.
Before leaving Turkey, Erdogan said the U.S. had isolated itself with its stance on Jerusalem, saying it was "alone" in recognizing it as Israel's capital. Palestinians were outraged by Trump's Dec. 6 declaration as they envision east Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state.
Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan called for the recognition of Jerusalem "as the capital of Palestine," saying, "This is the point that is to be reached. We are now working for this."
Erdogan said Turkey, which currently holds the term presidency of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, leads 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide, while the pope is "number one" among Catholics.
"These two important blocs are in fact decisive elements in this region," he said, emphasizing Jerusalem's importance to several world religions.
The two men are also expected to discuss the current crisis in Syria and Iraq as well as humanitarian aid and refugees.
Last month, Turkey sent troops into neighboring Syria to attack Kurdish YPG fighters near its southern border. Turkey sees the militia as a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and has shrugged off criticism at home and abroad over the operation.
Demonstrations are expected in Rome against Erdogan's visit and some 3,500 police and security officers will be on duty. In an interview with Italian paper La Stampa, Erdogan dismissed the likely protests.
"I don't speak to people who support terrorism. I only speak to those who fight it," he was quoted as saying.
The Turkish leader is also due to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni on Monday, as well as local business leaders.
