Pope Leo XIV flies to Turkey Thursday for the first trip abroad of his papacy, which includes a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and comes amid acute tensions in the region.

The trip, which includes a second leg to Lebanon, begins in the Turkish capital Ankara, where the first American pope is expected to arrive shortly after midday.

There he will address authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps before heading to Istanbul in the early evening.

Leo's first steps abroad will be scrutinised by the world's media, with more than 80 journalists accompanying him on his papal plane.

Since his election in May as the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope has shown himself to be adept at handling the media, talking to reporters weekly.

In a sign of his desir

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