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ANKARA: The Pope In Turkey

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  • ANKARA: The Pope In Turkey

    THE POPE IN TURKEY
    By Mukremin Albayrak, Sezai Kalayci, Istanbul

    Zaman Online, Turkey
    Dec 2 2006

    Pope Benedict XVI's Turkey visit, which was closely followed by the
    world press with great interest and curiosity, turned out to be far
    more positive and beneficial than expected.

    The pope gave a much anticipated message at the Blue Mosque. The pope
    faced toward the holiest sanctuary of Islam, the Kaaba, in Mecca with
    Istanbul Mufti Prof. Dr. Mustafa Cagrici and stood in meditation and
    prayed with his hands folded in the proper Muslim prayer position.

    With this gesture of goodwill, the pontiff had provided great
    support to inter-religious dialogue and the project of alliance of
    civilizations. Also giving warm messages for Turkey's EU membership,
    the pope showed his close relationship to Patriarch Bartholomew and
    the two churches, by holding his hand.

    After the pope's speech at Regensburg University in Germany, which had
    prompted world-wide reactions in the Islamic world, the visit to Turkey
    was an issue of global interest. About 2,000 journalists from Turkey
    and abroad had made reservations to follow his visit. There were also
    various conspiracy theories about his meeting with Patriarch of the
    Fener Greek Patriarchate Bartholomew. As expected, the pope mentioned
    the Fener Greek patriarch as being "ecumenical," but he balanced his
    speech with his sincere prayers and wishes for unity in the Middle
    East. During the visit to Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II, Benedict XVI
    never mentioned the word "genocide." The pope not only made visits
    to the spiritual leaders of the biggest congregations in Istanbul,
    but also to the heads of the Syrian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic churches
    and the chief rabbi of Turkey, thus giving important messages about
    interreligious dialogue.

    The most important parts of the visit were the Hagia Sophia and the
    Blue Mosque. Frustrating theories that he was going to pray in Hagia
    Sophia, the pope toured the huge museum like an ordinary tourist while
    he chose to pray in the Blue Mosque. Both native and foreign news
    agencies broadcasted this historical moment to the world describing it
    as the most striking part of the visit. The pope gave very positive
    messages about tolerance and dialogue. He demonstrated his love and
    respect for the Turkish nation by first saying "We'd like to see Turkey
    in the European Union" and secondly by waving the Turkish Flag given
    to him in Ephesus. These gestures of goodwill of the pope made a great
    contribution to the project of alliance of civilizations. Pope Benedict
    XVI left Turkey saying, "part of my heart will remain in Istanbul."
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