Pope arrives in Turkey amid heavy security
Pope Benedict XVI today arrived in Turkey on his first visit to a Muslim country, where he will seek to ease anger over his perceived criticism of Islam and mend a split with the world’s Orthodox Christians.
The pope’s plane landed in the Turkish capital of Ankara amid a massive security operation designed to thwart any attempts to disrupt the pontiff’s four-day trip at a time of heightened tension between the West and Islam.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the pope, who wore traditional white robes, at the foot of the plane. The two men shook hands and walked on a red carpet to the heavily guarded airport terminal for a private discussion.
“I want to express happiness to see you and your delegation in our country,” Erdogan told the pope. He described the pope’s visit as “very meaningful.”
Erdogan, who was bound for a Nato summit in Latvia, had only announced the day before that he would make time to meet Benedict in a nation where many people view the pope with suspicion.
Before departing for Ankara, the pontiff said in Rome that he was embarking on a “trip of dialogue, brotherhood and reconciliation at this difficult moment in history.”
Turkish police monitored the highway 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.
