Pope preaches interfaith ‘brotherhood’ in Turkey

ISTANBUL—Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Turkey on his first trip to a mainly Muslim country since acceding to the papacy. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met him at Ankara airport and they had a 20-minute meeting, despite earlier claims Mr Erdogan would not have time.
The meeting was clearly intended to calm tensions and set a positive tone for the visit, correspondents say. The visit has been overshadowed by anger among many Muslims, enraged by comments the Pontiff made about Islam Tens of thousands protested on the streets of Istanbul at the weekend, calling on the Pope to stay away or apologise for his remarks. Security is tight, with 15,000 police on guard. Snipers are in place and a decoy motorcade will be used during the four-day visit.
Turkey says security will be higher than for US President George W Bush’s visit in 2004 - but officials insist he will not be in danger during his trip. The trip was arranged in part so the Pope could meet the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Christian Church, in Istanbul.—Agencies