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Feb 6, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Pope Francis and Erdogan discuss opposition to Trump's Jerusalem move

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Pope Francis meets President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Apostolic Palace.

Pope Francis meets President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Apostolic Palace. Photo: Vatican Pool / Getty Images

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Pope Francis on Monday night for "an unusually long 50 minutes," in which they discussed their shared opposition to the U.S.' recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, per the Wall Street Journal.

  • Why it matters: Pope Francis has reiterated the Vatican's support for a two-state solution, and Erdogan called the topic his "top priority" for their meeting, the Journal reports. President Trump has come under fire from other world leaders for his decision with Jerusalem.
  • Worth noting: This was the first trip of a Turkish president to the Vatican since 1959.
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