Pope Francis walks past the Turkish national flag as he arrives for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara as part of a three day visit in Turkey on November 28, 2014. Pope Francis begins his first visit to Turkey today in a challenging trip aimed at building bridges with Islam and supporting the embattled Christian minorities of the Middle East. The pope will spend the first of three days in Turkey in the capital Ankara, notably holding a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at his newly-constructed and hugely controversial presidential palace. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE