Pope calls for Christian-Muslim dialogue
By Christopher Luke,WNS Turkey Correspondent
ANKARA - Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday began his visit to Turkey with a message urging "dialogue" between Christians and Muslims as he moved to ease anger over his perceived criticism of Islam. "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, respecting differences and recognizing what we have in common," he said in an address at the Directorate of Religious Affairs. Introducing the pope, Turkey's chief Islamic cleric, Ali Bardakoglu, leader of the directorate, made an apparent reference to the pope's September remarks that linked violence and the Prophet Muhammed.
In his speech, Benedict quoted two previous pontiffs, including his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who referred to the "spiritual bonds" between Christianity and Islam in a 1979 speech in Ankara. He also quoted Pope Gregory VII, an 11th-century pontiff who talked about the charity that Christians and Muslims owe each other "because we believe in one God, albeit in a different manner." On his arrival at Ankara airport for a four-day visit, the pope told Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan: "I really wanted to come to Turkey because Turkey has become a bridge ... between the religions."I want to reiterate the solidarity between the cultures," the pope said. "This is our duty." In his first official act, Benedict visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. In a guest book, he wrote that Turkey is "a meeting point of different religions and cultures and a bridge between Asia and Europe."
Later Tuesday, while addressing Turkey's diplomatic corps, the pope heralded the country's role in the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. He also touched on the importance of religious freedom, saying members of all religions should enjoy the same rights and recognition in their home countries. "Our world must come to realize that all people are linked by profound solidarity with one another, and they must be encouraged to assert their historical and cultural differences not for the sake of confrontation, but in order to foster mutual respect," he said. Benedict arrived in the Turkish capital earlier Tuesday under tight security. Police lined the highway leading to Ankara from the airport, where Turkish and Vatican flags waved in a light breeze, The Associated Press said.
Snipers climbed atop buildings and hilltops. In wooded areas along the route, soldiers in camouflage fatigues set up observation points and sniffer dogs passed along bridges. Dozens of Turks demonstrated outside the Religious Affairs Ministry, about 40 kilometers from the airport, the AP reported. More than 20,000 Turks gathered Sunday in Istanbul in protest of the papal visit, according to Reuters. The Turkish prime minister waited until the day before Benedict's arrival to announce that he would make time to greet the pope before leaving for a NATO summit in Latvia. Before leaving for the airport, Erdogan said he hoped Turks would be courteous and "show hospitality" to the pontiff.
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