Pope Francis arrived in Turkey on Friday for a three-day visit. He’ll meet the country’s political and religious leaders, as well as the head of the Orthodox Church, or ‘Patriarch of Constantinople’ — a reminder of Turkey’s Christian heritage.
A century ago, Christians made up 20 percent of the Turkish population; today, that figure has dwindled to less than 1 percent. The BBC’s Istanbul correspondent Mark Lowen reports on the decline of the religion in what was once an important heartland.
Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.
Reporter
- Mark Lowen, Istanbul correspondent for the BBC. He tweets @marklowen.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.