ANKARA, April 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday hailed Pope Francis for his efforts to further dialogue between different faiths after the Argentine pontiff died at the age of 88.

"A respected statesman, Pope Francis was a spiritual leader who placed great importance on dialogue between different faith groups," he wrote on X, saying he was also someone who took "initiative in the face of humanitarian tragedies, especially the Palestinian issue".