Pope to Visit Turkey

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Vatican on Monday officially confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI will visit Turkey at the end of November, a trip that had been put into doubt by Muslim anger over controversial comments he made about Islam. The confirmation of the Nov 28-Dec 1 trip to the predominantly Muslim nation came in an advisory to journalists on accreditation and a separate announcement that he was making the trip at the invitation of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The main purpose of the visit is to meet in Istanbul -- the former Constantinople -- with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians. It should be noted that the sharp statements of the Pope aroused a wave of indignation within the Muslim world and his visit to Turkey remained undecided during the recent several weeks, reports Reuters.