Inter-religious dialogue key to battling fanaticism, Pope says in Turkey Pomp and ceremony: Pope Francis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, walk by the honour guard at the presidential palace in Ankara. Istanbul: In his first visit as Pope to a predominantly Muslim country, Pope Francis said in Turkey on Friday that inter-religious dialogue, more than just military action, was required to combat the "fanaticism and fundamentalism" that threaten Christians and other religious minorities along the country's southern border. "Fanaticism and fundamentalism, as well as irrational fears, which foster misunderstanding and discrimination, need to be countered by the solidarity of all believers," the Pope said in televised remarks at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's presidential palace in Ankara. Pope Francis called for the people and governments of the Middle East to "reverse the trend" of violent conflict, and said military action was not enough to suppress extremism. "In Syria and Iraq, particularly, terrorist violence shows no signs of abating," the Pope said, adding: "In reaffirming that it is licit, while always respecting the international law, to stop an unjust aggressor, I wish to reiterate, moreover, that the problem cannot be resolved solely through a military response." A US-led coalition is carrying out assaults against the militants of the Islamic State on Turkey's southern borders with Iraq and Syria. Turkey has agreed to join the US-led coalition against the Islamic State but has resisted a full-fledged commitment until safe areas and a no-fly zone could be established along its borders to help contain another possible influx of refugees. Turkey has taken in at least 1.6 million so far. The Pope praised the country's generosity in sheltering refugees, including Christians and Yazidis, and said it was the moral obligation of the international community to assist the government of Turkey in helping them. At a meeting later in the day with Mehmet Gormez, Turkey's top cleric, at the government's religious affairs directorate, the Pope called on people of all faiths to protect the human rights of others. "I wish to express my appreciation for everything that the Turkish people, Muslims and Christians alike, are doing to help the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing their countries due to conflicts," the Pope said. This is a clear example of how we can work together to serve others. Throughout the day, the Pope emphasised the need to focus on commonalities of faith and the value of learning from religious differences to repair relations between Christians and Muslims. The papacy has had a tarnished image among Muslims in Turkey since 2006, when Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, quoted a Byzantine emperor who called Islam "evil and inhuman." At his presidential palace, Mr Erdogan praised the Pope and said his visit was an opportunity for Christians and Muslims to join forces against racism and Islamophobia. "We sadly witness Muslims being associated with terror in the Western world, and in the Muslim world, we regret violent attitudes toward Christians," the president said. The Pope addressed a group of Turkish officials at Erdogan's new, US$600 million ($705 million) presidential palace. The Pope's soft voice echoed in the grandiose setting, which was in contrast to the Pope's image as a humble man of the people. In a letter this month, a group of Turkish architects asked the Pope to eschew the palace, which was built on protected forest land in defiance of rulings by several courts that the development was illegal. The Vatican dismissed the request and said the Pope would be received wherever the government welcomed him. The Pope's request to be picked up from the airport in a Fiat Albea, an Italian car manufactured in Turkey, was turned down for security reasons, and instead, a luxury Volkswagen ferried him to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who founded the secular Turkish Republic, where the Pope laid a wreath. The Pope will travel on Saturday to Istanbul, where he will be the official guest of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Orthodox Christian leader. About 2700 police officers in Ankara and 7000 security officers in Istanbul are on duty to ensure the safety of the Pope, the fourth to visit Turkey, during his stay. ATurkish nationalist, Mehmet Ali Agca, shot Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Square in Rome in 1981. Mr Agca was in prison in Italy for 19 years before he was moved to a facility in Turkey to serve 10 years for the murder of a Turkish newspaper editor. He was released from prison in 2010.