Politics Over Popes Visit to Turkey

We talked with Macar on Pope's visit, its implications as well as reactions to it and the meeting of Pope and the Greek Orthodox Patriach Bartholomew I.

What's the significance of the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Bartholomew I?

Considering the atmosphere where non-Muslims and the Patriarch in Turkey are voicing their complaints, this visit has a solidarity side to it. This is important for the prestige of the Patriarch.

Both the Papacy and the Patriarch served as the guardians of the values of the West during Cold War years. Later in the 1980's they began trying to disseminate those values to the Eastern Europe and Russia until then void of them. This visit also sends a message to the Russian Church which claims to name Moscow "the third Rome". Because both the Papacy and the Patriarchy are in struggle with the Russian Church to increase their influence in the Baltic states and in Ukraine.

But we must not forget one point: The Patriarchy sees the accession of Turkey into the EU as a point of deliverance for its community, therefore strongly supporting this process.

On the other hand, the Pope wants reference to the Christian roots of Europe on the EU Constitution and sees the EU as a "Christian Club". This is an important point of disaccord.

Is the Pope-Patriarch meeting focus point in this visit?

Regarding that there are no government representatives involved in Pope's visit, its hardly possible that this will serve as an opportunity between Vatican and Turkey to exchange political wills and demands. Therefore yes, this is the most important aspect of this visit.

Although we can't explain Pope's visit merely by the current conjuncture. One should consider the historical polarity between the two churches.

What's that historical problem?

This is the third time a Pope visits Turkey. The first one was in 1967, Paulus VI. In 1979 Johannes Paulus II came under threats of assassination. We must see the common aim of all these visits, including the last one of Benedict XVI, as cornerstones on the long way to eliminate the duality of Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

But the chance of this happening seems low in short term. Because the Orthodox churches are torn apart in history, turning into national entities, the Patriarchy in Istanbul is not truly capable of representing them.

In other words, the Patriarch's representation can't go further than a "prospective theological union". Other Orthodox churches serve as strongholds against globalization and liberal ideas in their respective countries. This is one of the most important obstacles standing in front of an union.

Then why did Pope's visit caused all those debate in Tukey?

Pope's visit is always and everywhere considered important. His visit to Turkey is no exception.

The reason that this visit is conceived as a "problem" in Turkey can be interpreted as efforts to put the government under political pressure by the opposing groups that think the country is somehow under threat.

The opposition is trying to hit on the government using Pope's visit. It's interesting that people who define themselves through Turkishness are bothering with this visit while the Pope's making statements on Islam. Therefore this visit will function as an indicator of distinction on how much religious and how musch national an identity is Turkishness defined as. It's hard to understand if the worries of people who make reference to Pope's remarks on Islam that he made in September are formed from a nationalistic or religious point of view.

How about the government's attitude?

This visit was turned into a official visit by the governments intervention last year to prevent the Pope's intention to visit the Patriarchy in Istanbul. This way, the government hoped to move the meeting of the two out of the focus of the visit. But none of the people who made this intervention are in sight today now that the visit is realized.

Why?

Because a lot has happened since. Pope hadn't made his infamous speech then. And Turkey wasn't in an election process neither.

Now the neo-islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) government will salute its natural election base by not giving much attention or just welcoming in appearance "the Pope who insulted Islam".

Government's collective attitude is a clear sign that this is politically motivated. In fact, we've seen this before.

How?

This will to not to lend anyone the initiative isn't new for this government. For example, following Fettullah Gulen's [an influential religious sect leader, in exile to prevent possible prosecution] visit to the Pope, the head of official Religious Affairs paid a visit to him too.

The Pope meeting the head of Religious Affairs again now is related to the state policy not to let loose the initiative. Also this way, he can express "his deep affiction" to the Pope ragarding his remarks on Islam. Otherways, it's wouldn't be possible to explain Pope visiting the head of Religious Affairs in his office.

Does the Vatican have demands from Turkey?

It does. But first let's summarize the situation.

Today there are about 30 thousand Catholics in Turkey. This community comes from different ethnic roots such as Latin, Armenian, Syrian, Greek etc. For the most part, they live in Istanbul and Izmir.

Vatican made a change in the administration of this community in 1990. They founded an Anatolian Papal Ministry, situated in Mersin adding to the already existing Istanbul Papal Ministry and Izmir Primacy.

Vatican's demands can be summed up as follows: Turkish citizenship to the Latin Episcopos in Istanbul; official recognition of the Latin Episcopate; recognition of the Congregations as legal bodies and solution of their property problems, restitution of the properties that were handed to the state in the past.

What can you say about the history of the relation between the Vatican and Turkey?

During the Ottoman Empire, after Mehmet II conquered Istanbul he gave certain privileges to the Genoese living in Galata district. This is regarded as one of the oldest texts which reflects Ottoman's relation to the Catholic world.

Later in the 19th century, Sultan Abdulmecit congrulated Pope Pius IX by sending a delegate. During the reign of Abdulhamit founding a permanent delegation is thought but it doesn't realize.

Roots of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Turkey and Vatican were established during Democratic Party's course, in the 50's. Both the Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuat Koprülü visited the Pope. Later when Roncalli who stayed in Turkey for nine years as papal representative becomes the Pope as Johannes XXIII, progress got faster. After a short debate, the first ambassador of Turkey goes to Vatican in April 1960.(TK/EU)