TURKEY: MINISTER OF STATE POISED TO HOST POPE DURING HISTORIC VISIT
AKI, Italy
Nov 14 2006
Istanbul and Ankara, 14 Nov. (AKI) – Turkey’s minister of state
Besir Atalay is expected to host Pope Benedict XVI during his first
visit to a Muslim-majority country taking place from 28 November to 1
December. During the three-day visit, the pontiff will meet Turkey’s
president Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the Orthodox patriarch Bartholomew
I and other religious leaders, including the head of the religious
affairs directorate and Muslim grand mufti of Turkey, Ali Bardakoglu.
Upon his arrival on 28 November in the capital, Ankara, Benedict will
visit the shrine of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern, secular
Turkish state, the Vatican announced. He will then meet meet Sezer,
Bardakoglu, and Turkish diplomats, the Vatican said.
On 29 November, Benedict will celebrate mass in the coastal city
Ephesus, the site of the most important sanctuary to the Virgin Mary
in Anatolia. On 30 November – the Feast of Saint Andrew – he and
Bartholomew I will sign a joint declaration of ecumenical dialogue
between the Catholic and Orthodox churches before celebrating a
liturgy together.
While in Istanbul, Benedict will also meet Armenian, Syrian Orthodox
and Jewish leaders and will dine with members of the Turkish Conference
of Bishops. On the last day of his visit, on 1 December, he will
celebrate mass in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
Atalay – who is responsible for Turkey’s public TV channel TRT and
the national statistics institute – has extensive previous experience
of accompanying high ranking officials during their visits to the
country and has signalled he is happy to act as the pontiff’s host.
There has been speculation that Islamist rooted Erdogan deliberately
avoided meeting Benedict in reaction to his recent controversial
statements linking Islam to violence and unreason during a speech in
September at the University of Regensburg in Germany.
This has been repeatedly denied by Erdogan and other government
officials, who have stated that the premier’s attendance at a NATO
summit in Latvia was a prior commitment the Vatican was aware of when
planning the pontiff’s visit. "I will be at the NATO Summit in Riga.
Am I supposed to cancel because of the pope’s visit? " Erdogan said
on Monday.
"I do not escape. The pope has two titles; that of religious leader
and head of state. As the religious leader he will meet Turkey’s
religious affairs directorate chairman, Ali Bardakoglu. As head of
state, he will meet president Ahmet Necdet Sezer. What is there to
read into this?" Erdogan added.
Gul will also be abroad during Benedict’s first official visit
to Turkey.