Turkish security forces ready for Pope's arrival

Turkish police set up positions along the motorway leading to Ankara from the airport, where Turkish and Vatican flags waved in a light breeze.

Snipers climbed atop buildings and hilltops. In wooded areas along the route, soldiers in camouflage fatigues set up observations points and sniffer dogs passed along bridges.

Authorities have imposed security that is tighter than even for the visit of US President George Bush in 2004 – in attempts to block another possible wave of protests against the pope, whose comments in September brought widespread backlash and denunciations across the Muslim world.

Benedict is to arrive at Ankara’s airport at around 1000GMT, where he will meet briefly with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who waited until the day before Benedict’s arrival to announce that he would make time to see the pope.

Benedict said this morning his visit was a “trip of dialogue, brotherhood and reconciliation at this difficult moment in history”.

“This is not a political trip but a pastoral one, and is aimed at dialogue and a joint commitment to peace,” he said, adding that he was referring to dialogue “between cultures, between Christianity and Islam, a dialogue with our Christian brothers, especially with the Orthodox Church of Constantinople.”

The pontiff said the Turkish people are “hospitable, open and desire peace".

“Turkey has always been a bridge between cultures and a place of meetings and dialogue,” the pontiff said.

According to news reports, some 3,000 police officers have been assigned to guard the pope upon his arrival in the dusty, sprawling capital.

Police also were mobilising and staking out spots in Istanbul, where Benedict will spend most of his four days in Turkey.

“We have taken all the necessary measures and observations of the route the pope (will travel) and the places the pope will visit,” Istanbul police spokesman Ismail Caliskan said.

Turkish newspapers showed both hope for and outrage over the trip.

“A forced guest!” said the pro-Islamic newspaper Vakit in a front page headline.

An editorial in the liberal Milliyet newspaper described the trip as a “historic chance to scatter black clouds that are hanging between the Islamic and the Western world".

“The need to develop a new understanding has never been so vital,” it said.

Yesterday, a group of around 100 pro-Islamic demonstrators displayed what they said were a million signatures for a petition demanding that the Haghia Sophia, now a museum in Istanbul, be declared a mosque and opened to worship for Muslims.

The Haghia Sophia was built in the 6th century as a Christian church, but was converted to a mosque in 1453 when Islamic armies conquered the city – then a Christian metropolis called Constantinople.

In a speech on Sunday, Benedict said he was coming to Turkey as a friend of the Turks and asked his followers to pray for him.

That same day, more than 25,000 Turks showed up to an anti-Vatican protest in Istanbul, asking the pope to stay at home.

The visit to Turkey will be a test of whether Benedict can soften some of the Christian-Muslim tensions that boiled over after he quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterised some of the teachings of Islam’s prophet Mohammed as “evil and inhuman".

The visit will also be a test of the Turkish public’s willingness to tolerate criticism of Islam and their ability to co-ordinate a massive and potentially problematic visit.

Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, who is also the government’s spokesman, said the visit was an opportunity for improved relations between the Christian and Muslim worlds.

“We would want this visit to be a cornerstone for (relations) between the two worlds,” Cicek said after a Cabinet meeting Monday.

“Turkey is a country that is recognised worldwide for its tolerance and its hospitality. This is an opportunity for (Turkey) to display these qualities,” he said.

Cicek said the protests were not directed toward the papacy, but toward the pope’s comments on Islam.

“Some sector of the population are disturbed by the visit. Their disturbance is not because the pope is the pope, but because of the remarks he made,” he said.

A brief statement from President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s office said talks with the pontiff today would focus on “opportunities for developing mutual understanding and cooperation,” on bilateral relations between Turkey and the Vatican as well as regional and international issues.

After spending tonight in Ankara, Benedict will visit Ephesus and Istanbul, where he will meet with Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based leader of the world’s more than 250 million Orthodox Christians.