Pope off to Turkey, a delicate balancing act

VATICAN CITY, Nov 27 (Reuters) Pope Benedict sets off tomorrow on one of the most delicate trips by a Pontiff, visiting Turkey, where resentment is seething over his comments on Islam and opposition to Ankara's EU bid.

The visit by the leader of 1.1 billion Roman Catholics was originally intended to be a pre-eminently Christian event centred around a meeting with the Istanbul-based head of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians.

But it has taken on much vaster political ramifications in Western-Islamic relations, East-West ties, Catholic-Muslim relations and Turkey's own aspirations to be part of Europe.

The 79-year-old Pope will have to attempt to repair damage on several fronts as he visits the predominantly Muslim country that is officially secular.

The attitude to the Pope in Turkey ranges from total secular indifference to passionate religious or political anger.

Benedict infuriated Muslims worldwide in September with a lecture that appeared to portray Islam as an irrational religion tainted by violence. He later expressed regret over the pain his remarks caused but stopped short of a full apology.

Many Islamic officials want him to state clearly that he believes Islam to be a religion of peace.

''I think the attitude the Pope should take is that neither Islam nor Christianity is a source of violence,'' said Ali Bardakoglu, who heads Ankara's Directorate General for Religious Affairs which controls Turkish imams and writes their sermons.

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