A man who attacked Pope John Paul II in 1981 was escorted from the Turkish town of Iznik on Thursday ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit there, Turkish media reported.

In May 1981, Turkish national Mehmet Ali Agca fired several shots at Pope John Paul in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square, severely injuring the pontiff.

On Thursday, Turkish media quoted him as saying he hoped to meet Leo "for two or three minutes".

But he was removed before the pope's arrival, according to Halk TV.

Following his attack on John Paul, Agca was handed a life sentence in Italy, which he ended up serving in Turkey's capital Ankara. He was released in January 2010 after 29 years in jail.

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