Pope urges religious dialogue in Turkey visit

2006-11-29

Reconciliation has been a major theme so far of Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Turkey. The Pope called for dialogue between Christianity and Islam based on truth.

By Ahmet Gormez for Southeast European Times in Ankara – 29/11/06

[File] "We Muslims condemn all types of violence and terror, regardless of who commits it against whom, and we perceive it as a crime of humanity," Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu (right) said at a press conference with Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Benedict XVI began his four-day trip to Turkey on Tuesday (November 28th).

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally greeted Benedict as he stepped off his plane at Ankara's Esenboga Airport.

"I asked Pope Benedict XVI to support Turkey's EU accession process," Erdogan said. "The Pope said that he wishes that Turkey will join the EU."

The issue of EU accession also was raised at the Pope's meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who emphasised that Turkey is a secular, not a Muslim, state. Sources quoted Benedict as saying "there is a place for Turkey in the EU."

Turkish officials welcomed these comments, saying they signaled a change from Benedict's earlier stance. Prior to becoming Pope, he spoke out against EU membership for Turkey, citing cultural and religious differences.

One of Benedict's most important meetings in Ankara was with Ali Bardakoglu, head of Turkey's religious affairs directorate. He was one of the first religious leaders to react strongly against the Pope's September speech in Regensburg, Germany, in which the pontiff quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who characterised the Prophet Muhammed's teachings as "evil and inhuman".

At a joint press conference with the Pope Tuesday, Bardakoglu said "We Muslims condemn all types of violence and terror, regardless of who commits it against whom, and we perceive it as a crime of humanity," he said.

"However, during recent periods we are observing that Islamophobia -- which expresses the mentality that the religion of Islam contains and encourages violence with its history, that Islam was spread over the world by swords, and that Muslims are potential users of violence -- is gradually increasing," Bardakoglu added.

Later, Benedict made his first public speech in Ankara, urging dialogue and brotherhood between Christianity and Islam. In carefully prepared remarks, he said Islam has a "great benevolence".

"The best way forward is via authentic dialogue between Christians and Muslims, based on truth and inspired by a sincere wish to know one another better," Benedict said.

On Wednesday, the Pope visits the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus and celebrates mass there, before travelling to Istanbul to see the Blue Mosque. It will be his first visit to a mosque since becoming Pope, and is being viewed as another effort at reconciliation.

The cornerstone of the trip to Turkey will be a meeting with the Orthodox Church's Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I. The two major branches of Christianity represented by Bartholomew and Benedict split in 1054 over differences on the power of the papacy. The two spiritual heads will meet in an attempt to breach the divide.