Pope Leo's Turkey visit inspires 'new crusade' conspiracy theories

Pope Leo's visit to Turkey to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea has sparked a significant backlash and conspiracy theories. Turkish secularist and nationalist critics accuse the pontiff of having political motives, such as reviving the Crusades or orchestrating a land-grab. These fears were fueled by a map circulating on social media that depicted parts of western Turkey annexed by Greece. The visit, which included joint prayers with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, has been framed by some as a political-religious project and a violation of Turkey's secular principles.