TURKEY: Turkey wake up with Pope headlines one day ahead of Pope Benedict visit

Turkish newspapers on Monday (Nov 27) urged the Pope to stay away just one day before the Pope Benedict was due to arrive in the Muslim nation. Newspaper headlines gave the Pope such messages as "Don't Come" and "You are not welcomed, don't come." Monday's media messages follow Sunday's large protests against the Pontiff's visit. More than 20,000 Muslims in Istanbul staged the biggest demonstration so far against the trip as Islamic opposition to this week's controversial visit gathered momentum. Pope Benedict, due to begin his first official visit to a Muslim country on Tuesday (November 28), angered many Muslims in September with a speech they took as an insult to Islam. One man said he doubts the Pope's reasons for visiting Turkey, "He gave rough messages on muslims. I don't think that he is coming for muslims, he is coming to cause arguments," the man said. But another Ankara resident said that Turkey has a long history with many different cultures and the Pope's visit is welcomed. "We are living in a country where many civilisations were hosted. Turks contribute a lot to Islam and we are standing in the same distance to all religions so his visit is very good," he said.

ITN Source | November 27, 2006

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