Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VATICAN204
2006-09-21 16:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:
POPE'S TURKEY TRIP STILL ON CALENDAR
how-toVZCZCXRO6232 PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHSR DE RUEHROV #0204/01 2641653 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211653Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0494 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0006 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 0003 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0522
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000204
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/21/2016
TAGS: PHUM PTER VT TU KIRF
SUBJECT: POPE'S TURKEY TRIP STILL ON CALENDAR
REF: A. Vatican 199
B. Vatican 201
C. 05 VATICAN 515
VATICAN 00000204 001.2 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
-------
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000204
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/21/2016
TAGS: PHUM PTER VT TU KIRF
SUBJECT: POPE'S TURKEY TRIP STILL ON CALENDAR
REF: A. Vatican 199
B. Vatican 201
C. 05 VATICAN 515
VATICAN 00000204 001.2 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) The Turkish DCM to the Holy See told Charge September
20 that the controversy over the pope's remarks in Regensburg
(ref a,b) would not derail his November visit to Turkey. She
noted controversy surrounding the visit and outlined the
itinerary. Meanwhile, other sources described how the
Regensburg controversy has created a problem for pro-EU Turks.
Another loser is said to be Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The trip was originally slated to focus on the Orthodox Church,
but will now have another shadow over it. The papal speech has
complicated the already difficult landscape of Turkish-Holy See
relations. End Summary.
--------------
DCM: Visit is On
--------------
2. (C) Confirming media reports, Turkish DCM to the Holy See
Deniz Kilicer told Charge September 20 that the controversy over
the pope's remarks in Regensburg (ref a,b) would not derail the
pope's planned November visit to Turkey. She stressed the
importance of the visit to both Turkey and the Holy See. The
pope will begin with a stop in Ankara, where he will meet the
president (the PM will be away). He will also visit Izmir, near
what tradition recognizes as the house of the Virgin Mary; and
Istanbul, where he will meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on
the Feast of St. Andrew, visit an island nearby with historical
Christian significance, and visit the famous former Orthodox
shrine, Hagia Sophia - now a museum with Islamic symbols
mingling with Byzantine mosaics.
3. (C) Kilicer noted what has been widely reported in
Vatican-based media -- that some Turks oppose the visit to the
Hagia Sophia on the grounds that it would be inappropriate for
the pope to pray there; the building was constructed as a church
and remains one of the most famous shrines in the world. But it
was later converted into a mosque. Though it is currently a
museum, Islamic symbols still mingle with Byzantine icons.
Some, Kilicer said, want to restore it to a mosque. She has
argued that the pope should and will pray there, as pious
Christians do in any holy site.
--------------
Danger for Pope?
--------------
4. (C) The Catholic Bishops Conference of Turkey has said
publicly that it sees no reason to call off the pope's visit.
There is nevertheless considerable anger at the pope for the
remarks, as expressed (for example) by employees of Ankara's
Diyanet, or Directorate General for Religious Affairs. Kilicer
noted as well that the Vatican itself is quite concerned about
the pope's security during the visit. Ironically, Mehmet Ali
Agca - the Turk who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981 - has now
warned Pope Benedict that he won't be safe in Turkey.
-------------- --------------
Former Ambassador to Turkey Weighs in
-------------- --------------
VATICAN 00000204 002.2 OF 002
5. (C) Meanwhile, Darko Tanaskovic, Ambassador of Serbia and
Montenegro to the Holy See (a scholar of Islam and former
Serbian Ambassador to Turkey),told us (protect) September 21
that he agreed with reported comments by a Turkish official that
Turkey couldn't guarantee the pope's safety if he went through
with the planned trip. There are a lot of people there who
don't want Turkey to become part of Europe, Tanaskovic said, and
there are certainly extremists among them. According to
Tanaskovic, the Regensburg incident won't help the Turks who are
backing EU entry, no matter how it plays out. Another loser, he
said, was the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The trip was
originally slated to focus on the Orthodox Church in the former
Constantinople. Now, the pope will be compelled to devote
substantial attention to the current controversy.
--------------
Comment
--------------
6. (C) Ref (c) noted former Turkish DCM Ali Riza Ozcoskun's
disillusionment with Turkish-Holy See relations and the
complications of their relationship. This incident doesn't make
things easier. One Catholic ambassador to the Holy See took his
Turkish colleague to task for the comments noted above on the
dangers the pope would face on his visit -- a statement this
ambassador saw as inflammatory. Referring to Agca's 1981
assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, he told the Turks
(and another ambassador from a Muslim country) that in light of
this history, the Turks should be wary of dark suggestions of
violence. Tanaskovic confirmed much of what we heard from
former DCM Ozcoskun: the Holy See - Turkish relationship is
necessary for the Turks, but full of problems. Many have a hard
time reconciling relations between a secular state and the
Vatican. Recent events have given ammunition to both secular
and religious opponents of these relations.
SANDROLINI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/21/2016
TAGS: PHUM PTER VT TU KIRF
SUBJECT: POPE'S TURKEY TRIP STILL ON CALENDAR
REF: A. Vatican 199
B. Vatican 201
C. 05 VATICAN 515
VATICAN 00000204 001.2 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) The Turkish DCM to the Holy See told Charge September
20 that the controversy over the pope's remarks in Regensburg
(ref a,b) would not derail his November visit to Turkey. She
noted controversy surrounding the visit and outlined the
itinerary. Meanwhile, other sources described how the
Regensburg controversy has created a problem for pro-EU Turks.
Another loser is said to be Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The trip was originally slated to focus on the Orthodox Church,
but will now have another shadow over it. The papal speech has
complicated the already difficult landscape of Turkish-Holy See
relations. End Summary.
--------------
DCM: Visit is On
--------------
2. (C) Confirming media reports, Turkish DCM to the Holy See
Deniz Kilicer told Charge September 20 that the controversy over
the pope's remarks in Regensburg (ref a,b) would not derail the
pope's planned November visit to Turkey. She stressed the
importance of the visit to both Turkey and the Holy See. The
pope will begin with a stop in Ankara, where he will meet the
president (the PM will be away). He will also visit Izmir, near
what tradition recognizes as the house of the Virgin Mary; and
Istanbul, where he will meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on
the Feast of St. Andrew, visit an island nearby with historical
Christian significance, and visit the famous former Orthodox
shrine, Hagia Sophia - now a museum with Islamic symbols
mingling with Byzantine mosaics.
3. (C) Kilicer noted what has been widely reported in
Vatican-based media -- that some Turks oppose the visit to the
Hagia Sophia on the grounds that it would be inappropriate for
the pope to pray there; the building was constructed as a church
and remains one of the most famous shrines in the world. But it
was later converted into a mosque. Though it is currently a
museum, Islamic symbols still mingle with Byzantine icons.
Some, Kilicer said, want to restore it to a mosque. She has
argued that the pope should and will pray there, as pious
Christians do in any holy site.
--------------
Danger for Pope?
--------------
4. (C) The Catholic Bishops Conference of Turkey has said
publicly that it sees no reason to call off the pope's visit.
There is nevertheless considerable anger at the pope for the
remarks, as expressed (for example) by employees of Ankara's
Diyanet, or Directorate General for Religious Affairs. Kilicer
noted as well that the Vatican itself is quite concerned about
the pope's security during the visit. Ironically, Mehmet Ali
Agca - the Turk who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981 - has now
warned Pope Benedict that he won't be safe in Turkey.
-------------- --------------
Former Ambassador to Turkey Weighs in
-------------- --------------
VATICAN 00000204 002.2 OF 002
5. (C) Meanwhile, Darko Tanaskovic, Ambassador of Serbia and
Montenegro to the Holy See (a scholar of Islam and former
Serbian Ambassador to Turkey),told us (protect) September 21
that he agreed with reported comments by a Turkish official that
Turkey couldn't guarantee the pope's safety if he went through
with the planned trip. There are a lot of people there who
don't want Turkey to become part of Europe, Tanaskovic said, and
there are certainly extremists among them. According to
Tanaskovic, the Regensburg incident won't help the Turks who are
backing EU entry, no matter how it plays out. Another loser, he
said, was the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The trip was
originally slated to focus on the Orthodox Church in the former
Constantinople. Now, the pope will be compelled to devote
substantial attention to the current controversy.
--------------
Comment
--------------
6. (C) Ref (c) noted former Turkish DCM Ali Riza Ozcoskun's
disillusionment with Turkish-Holy See relations and the
complications of their relationship. This incident doesn't make
things easier. One Catholic ambassador to the Holy See took his
Turkish colleague to task for the comments noted above on the
dangers the pope would face on his visit -- a statement this
ambassador saw as inflammatory. Referring to Agca's 1981
assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, he told the Turks
(and another ambassador from a Muslim country) that in light of
this history, the Turks should be wary of dark suggestions of
violence. Tanaskovic confirmed much of what we heard from
former DCM Ozcoskun: the Holy See - Turkish relationship is
necessary for the Turks, but full of problems. Many have a hard
time reconciling relations between a secular state and the
Vatican. Recent events have given ammunition to both secular
and religious opponents of these relations.
SANDROLINI