Worries about the Pope?s four-day visit to Turkey last week caused a great deal of anxiety for both visitor and host . Turkey faced a conundrum over the visit: they wanted to be seen as gracious hosts in a Muslim, but secular, governed nation, yet relations between Islam and the West are at an all time low. Pope Benedict XVI became a lightening rod for controversy with his quote of the irrationality of Islam by the 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos. Turkey, due to its history and culture, has been caught between East and West and strives to achieve a balance between those two worlds. Thus, the Turkish government did not want to be seen as either too appeasing or too inhospitable to the Pope. The Vatican, on the other hand, did not want to inflame tensions by the visit and probably viewed the trip, which was previously scheduled for other reasons, as a gamble.
Although there were massive demonstrations against the Pope and even al-Qaeda felt compelled to weigh in about the visit, both sides can breathe a sigh of relief. The Pope seems to have made all the right moves during his visit and may have won some people over. For example, many Turks feared that Pope Benedict would try to re-consecrate Hagia Sophia, an ancient Byzantine Church that became a mosque and is now a museum, but he did not pray there. Instead, the Pope prayed with the Imam of the Blue Mosque, a sign of the utmost respect to the Imam. In addition, the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Erdogan, reversed an earlier decision not to greet the Pope officially on arrival, a move that would have been seen as a major snub to the Pontiff.
Most importantly, however, there was no violence, which would have been the worst outcome for both sides. Turkey?s ambitions toward EU membership would have been affected had violence marked the Pope?s visit. Turkey?s EU opponents could have used any reports of violence as an argument that Turkey is too different and hostile to the Christian religion to be part of Europe. It is even alleged that in a private conversation between the Pope and the Prime Minister, Pope Benedict reversed his opinion on Turkey?s suitability for EU membership and encouraged the acceptance of Turkey into the EU. However, what the Pope said is unclear, and the Vatican noted that it does not get involved in political issues of the EU.
Although the Pope?s visit was a resounding success in Turkey and should be a plus for potential EU membership, concurrently, the EU was making recommendations on Turkey?s future. The EU will recommend that eight chapters of the accession talks with Turkey be suspended because Turkey has not complied with a promise to open its ports to Cyprus . Turkey wants the EU to ease the embargo on Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus. While these are only recommendations and do not mean all talks are to be suspended or that EU membership is impossible, Turkey faces a great deal of opposition from Greece , Cyprus, France and Germany who all want harsher measures imposed. Conversely, Turkey wants the Cyprus issue removed for EU membership. So, it is likely that further roadblocks will be thrown in Turkey?s way for EU membership that may create antipathy between Turkey and the EU, wasting the goodwill from surprisingly good papal visit.
