Pope Benedict XVI arrived last Tuesday in Ankara, Turkey, making his first apostolic appearance in a Muslim nation. His journey follows the legacy of the bridge-building efforts by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who last visited Turkey in 1979. The trip is meant to be just that – a mending of Christian-Islamic relations and an offering of friendship to Muslims in the European community.
Why then, on the eve of his arrival, was there such a massive turnout of Muslim protesters forbidding the pontiff from entering the country? Some Turks might argue that Pope Benedict is on a mission as political as it is spiritual- he initiated conversation with prime minister Erdogan, in fact, by stating it would be desirable for Turkey to follow through on its bid to join the European Union.
Historically, Turkey has sat on the physical and political fringe of Europe. While Turkey has enjoyed a strategic position as a central hub between Europe, Africa and East Asia, European conquest has repeatedly attempted to fold the Turkish people and economy into its ranks. Turks would understandably be weary of European advances, even in this age of international diplomacy. The welcoming of Pope Benedict XVI into their lands should sound like a siren to the Turkish community, echoing back to the age of conquest by earlier European empires.
After an era of unprecedented expansion and victory in the 4th century A.D., the Roman Emperor Constantine moved his capital from Rome to Byzantium, thereafter named Constantinople, in 330 A.D. Christian rulers kept a difficult grip on the city throughout the Middle Ages, until it was finally reclaimed by Islamic forces in 1453 and has ever since. It’s a simplified history lesson, but the lesson to me, at least, is clear: The religious differences between Turks and Europeans is undoubtedly the biggest and to bridge that gap assumes a lot of resolution to inter-cultural tensions.
Pope Benedict made headlines earlier this summer, when he quoted a Byzantine emperor’s derogatory comments on Islam during a public lecture.
It’s worth mentioning that Constantinople was lost by the same Byzantine dynasty, and the Catholic Church may suffer the same fate. Unless papal policy adopts a more abiding sentiment towards other faiths, especially Islam, you won’t find any open arms in the Far East. Pope Benedict’s actions lacked tact. In a time when Middle Easterners are overwhelmed by a Western presence, his visit seems anything but neighborly to Turks.
I concede that a hands-off policy will not solve cultural or political problems between Turkey and the Europe. I believe economic invitation is the most Europe can offer at this point, with hopes of influencing its political and social spheres in the future.
To send Pope Benedict as an ambassador of European friendship sends entirely the wrong message to the Turkish people. Damage control on his part is warranted and absolutely necessary-but is best done from Rome. His lobbying on Turkish soil is too menacing to entice them into the EU and will surely worsen Islamic sentiments.
Andy Franks is a sophomore international business major.
