By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

ISTANBUL, Sep 22 (Reuters) Following a wave of protests against Pope Benedict's remarks on Islam, Muslim intellectuals in Turkey are asking what he really thinks about their faith and what long-term consequences his views will have.

Muslim thinkers in Turkey, where the German-born Pontiff is due on a sensitive visit in late November, suspect Benedict suffers from ''Orientalist'' delusions about Islam and wants to move the Roman Catholic Church away from dialogue with it.

His argument that Christianity is rational could be an indirect way of saying Islam is unreasonable and has no place in Christian-rooted Europe, they say.

At the same time, they set clear limits on the dialogue they want, boxing it into a series of polite exchanges where the tough issues Benedict wants to discuss risk remaining taboo.

''He should explain a lot of things,'' said Bekir Karliaga, philosophy professor at Istanbul's Marmara University. ''His apology was not enough for the feelings of the Muslim world.'' The Pope has invited ambassadors of Muslim countries at the Vatican, and Muslim religious leaders, to a meeting on Monday at his summer palace, a senior Vatican official said today.

The meeting is part of diplomatic efforts to explain that his speech in Germany has been misunderstood, the Vatican said.

Benedict has said his much-criticised speech in Regensburg, in which he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor as saying Islam was evil and violent, did not reflect his own thinking.

But quoting an emperor under siege from Muslim armies suggests Benedict thinks Islam has not changed from the days when it was a military threat to Europe, Kerim Balci said.

''This suggests that nations don't change,'' said Balci, editor of the Aksiyon news weekly published by an influential movement led by Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.

''That would mean Christian nations don't change either ...

and so the Crusader soul is still alive,'' he said. ''That would give power to those who are against conducting a dialogue.'' MORE REUTERS DKA HT1455