From December 4th to December 6th, the JCEP Consult had one of its meetings in the Jesuit community of Ankara, Türkiye. The JCEP Socius and the three Assistancies moderators had arrived earlier, on December 2nd, in Istanbul. There, they had the opportunity to visit the city and the main Catholic Church presences, guided by Jean-Marc Balhan SJ, the community superior. The JCEP President, Dalibor Renić, traveled directly to the Consult in Ankara and stayed with the community for a few extra days to conduct the canonical visitation.

The Consult agenda included time dedicated to planning the next steps in the apostolic planning process (Francisco José Ruiz joined this section via videoconference), an evaluation of the last JCEP General Assembly in Rome and the questions raised there, and updates on the drafting of the new Guidelines for Formation and Guidelines for Formation in the Digital Age. The group also reflected on possibly drafting updated guidelines for the Conference's Eurogroups, and discussed the later developments of the Youth Adult Ministry group. A significant part of the meeting involved a dialogue about the future horizon of the Jesuit presence in Ankara and a conversation about the content and timing of the upcoming General Assemblies and Consults.

Beyond the working aspects of the visit, the days in Ankara allowed all consultors to discover Türkiye, a vast country marked by strong social, economic, and cultural dynamism that must be considered in any reflection on the mission in Europe. It was also an occasion to witness the beautiful mission of the small Jesuit community in Ankara—a mission that includes practicing interreligious dialogue with Islam, tending to the growing nascent Church in the country, and collaborating with other religious orders and the nascent local Church.

In the final reflections upon concluding the JCEP Consult, all consultors expressed their deep consolation for having been able to directly witness such a missionary reality located on a true frontier. The common feeling among all participants was that here in Ankara, one truly feels like a Jesuit. Our prayers remain with the Jesuits of the Ankara community—Jean-Marc Balhan, Alexis Doucet, Michael Mcguckian, and Changmo Cho (currently in Tertianship in Bikfaya)—with the desire that these lines help everyone to acknowledge the terrific work they are doing.