Newsletters
Vice President JD Vance is planning to travel to Türkiye late November, to accompany Pope Leo during the pontiff's visit to Iznik, where they will mark 1,700 years since a pivotal gathering that shaped early Christian doctrine, according to what sources familiar with the arrangements revealed Middle East Eye.
The trip would bring Vance, a Catholic, to the submerged ruins of an ancient basilica in Lake Iznik on Nov. 28, believed to be where the First Council of Nicaea convened in 325 AD. At that assembly, bishops from across the Christian world met to resolve fundamental theological questions that would define the faith's early teachings.
Pope Leo, making his first official foreign visit, is expected to tour the underwater archaeological site alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to jointly commemorate the anniversary.
While Vance's participation has not been finalized and discussions continue, Turkish officials anticipate the vice president will attend the commemoration, sources said.
"Vance will already be in the Middle East to celebrate Thanksgiving with American troops on 27 November," one source said. "He would then like to travel to Türkiye to participate in the visit."
The U.S. embassy in Ankara did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If Vance makes the trip, Turkish officials expect he will also meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two last met in September when Erdogan visited the White House.
The Iznik basilica, measuring roughly 20 by 40 meters, is considered the town's largest known church. Scholars increasingly believe the structure is the Church of the Holy Fathers, long mentioned in Christian sources but never confirmed until recent discoveries.
Mustafa Sahin of Bursa Uludag University, who leads excavations at the site, said the basilica was originally built as a chapel for Saint Neophytos. An earthquake destroyed it in 358 AD, and it was rebuilt after 380 AD, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Excavations have revealed 37 graves, many restored and reburied in their original locations to maintain the site's authenticity.
Experts say Pope Leo's visit could transform Iznik into a major destination for Christian pilgrims and religious tourism. A 38-member Vatican delegation arrived in Iznik this week to finalize preparations for the historic visit.
1 min read
8 min read
