The Times - Constantinople Revisited
A papal visit to Turkey will be a test of diplomatic skills

Uh huh. Well, seeing as how there are vastly more Catholics and sympathetic protestant Christians in the world than there are Muslims, and seeing as how the uniting of the pope and the Turkish people in one place is more likely to result in a dead pope than in a dead Turkish people, maybe the Turks ought to be the ones being tested on their “diplomatic skills”?

The Pope has become caught up in campaigns by Muslim extremists and Turkish nationalists alike. The Turkish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have snubbed his visit, pleading the need to attend a Nato summit in Riga. More than 20,000 demonstrators marched through Istanbul at the weekend, denouncing the Pope as an enemy of Islam.

How is that a diplomatic success?

Date: Nov 27th, 2006 · Comments RSS · Tags: Geography and Foreign Affairs