Benedict Is Greeted by Turkish Premier Upon Arrival in Ankara
ANKARA, Turkey — Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey greeted Pope Benedict XVI amid intense security upon his arrival here yesterday.
AP / Riza Ozel, Pool
Pope Benedict XVI shakes hands with Ali Bardakoglu, head of Turkey's religious affairs, during their meeting in Ankara, Turkey. Pope Benedict XVI began his visit to Turkey with appeals for dialogue and "brotherhood" between Christians and Muslims in an attempt to ease anger over his perceived criticism of Islam.
The Turkish government deployed about 15,000 federal and local police throughout Ankara and its airport to protect the pope.
A confluence of events suggested this papal visit is fraught with more danger than most. Last week, a man fired a gun into the air near the Italian Consulate in Istanbul while protesting the visit; this weekend, a smaller than expected but still angry protest gathered in that city's center.
In recent weeks, Turkish bookstores have offered a disturbing novel by author Yucel Kaya that depicts the assassination of Pope Benedict XVI. Another new Turkish-language book, "The Codes of Europe," by Kıvanç Galip Över, says "the final goal of the European Union is to conquer Aya Sofya, where Jesus will be reborn."
But the mood surrounding the pope's visit brightened a bit yesterday. More and more Turks, when queried by the visiting crush of foreign journalists, balanced their ire over the pope's September remarks about Islam with friendlier words of welcome. More than one news commentator noted that the visit is an opportunity for Turkey to showcase the warmer face of Islam and the hospitality that is a tradition here.
The most dramatic moment of the pope's visit is likely to come tomorrow, when he tours the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul, the sixth-century church that was converted to a mosque in 1453 and now serves as a secular museum.
The pope will also visit the nearby Blue Mosque, just the second time a Catholic leader has stepped into a Muslim house of worship. Pope John Paul II visited the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus during a 2001 trip to Syria.
