AZG Armenian Daily #225, 24/11/2006

Turkey

TURKISH NATIONALISTS PROTEST AGAINST VISIT OF POPE OF ROME TO TURKEY

On November 23, 39 members of "Big Union"
nationalistic party were arrested by the Turkish
police for carrying out a protest rally against the
visit of Pope of Rome Benedict 16th to Istanbul. After
praying in the temple, the nationalists made a
statement for the press and began chanting slogans
against the Pope. The nationalists didn’t yield even
after the Police applied tear-gas. The policemen had
to lock the nationalists for almost an hour in the
temple and only after that arrest them. It is
envisaged that the Pope of Rome will visit the Hagia
Sophia Church and this very decision aroused the
indignation of the nationalists, Turkish "Cihan"
agency informed.

ITAR-TASS informed that Namik Tan, speaker of the
Foreign Ministry of Turkey, assured that they took all
relevant security measures for the coming visit of the
Pope of Rome. The first visit of Benedict 16th to a
Muslim country will take place on December 1, 2006.

By Nana Petrosian