Pope's remarks "won't affect Turkish visit" say Ankara sources

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Saturday September 16, 2006

Ankara- Remarks made by Pope Benedict XVI about Islam will not affect his planned visit to Turkey in November, Turkish foreign ministry sources were quoted as saying by Hurriyet newspaper Saturday. Turkey is a secular state, and its politics are not dictated by religion, the sources were quoted as saying by the widely-read newspaper.

However, the ministry had asked the papal nuntio in Ankara for the text of the pope's remarks during a visit to Germany Tuesday in which the pontiff quoted a 14th century Christian emperor as referring to elements of the Muslim faith as "evil and inhuman."

The newspaper also pointed out that the pope had "clearly distanced himself" from the quoted remark.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur