29.11.2025 14:25
The spiritual leader of the Catholic world, Pope Leo XIII, held a ceremony in Nicaea to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, which angered the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). MHP Deputy Chairman Semih Yalçın stated that the timing of the visit aimed to exacerbate historical and religious divisions, saying, "This purposeful ceremony, organized in the Turkish lands inherited from the Seljuks and Ottomans with the aim of uniting and consolidating the Christian world, has caused discomfort in the public."
The spiritual leader of the Catholic world, Pope Leo XIII, returned to Istanbul after participating in a ceremony held in Iznik to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The Pope's first stop on Saturday morning was the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, followed by a visit to the Mor Ephrem Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church in Yeşilköy, where he met with representatives of the Christian community.
STRONG REACTION FROM MHP TO THE CEREMONY IN IZNIK
The Pope's visit to Turkey also reflected on the political agenda. MHP Deputy Chairman and Istanbul MP Semih Yalçın criticized the visit harshly in a statement on his social media account.
In a post on X, Yalçın stated, "As is known, Pope Leo XIII is making a visit to Turkey from November 27 to December 2. This visit, which contains planned messages aimed at the Christian world and seeks to stir up both historical and religious divisions, appears to have turned into a kind of show."
Yalçın added, "Indeed, during the Iznik portion of this visit, a lavish ceremony was held to reenact the Council Meeting that took place 1700 years ago in 325. This purposeful ceremony, organized on Turkish lands inherited from the Seljuks and Ottomans with the aim of uniting the Christian world, has caused discomfort in the public."
BAHÇELİ'S PHONE CALL TO THE SCREENWRITER OF 'KURULUŞ ORHAN'
Meanwhile, Semih Yalçın announced that MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli called Mehmet Bozdağ, the screenwriter and producer of the series "Kuruluş Orhan," which is broadcast on ATV.
Yalçın stated, "The Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party, our Leader Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, called Mehmet Bozdağ, the screenwriter and producer of the series 'Kuruluş Orhan,' which is being aired on ATV, emphasizing that the series is a very important educational and warning work in terms of Turkish history and the geography of Anatolia. Our esteemed Chairman also recommended that this successful series, which he closely follows, be watched with sensitivity and interest by our nation."