Dozens of Turkish nationalists protest Pope visit

ISTANBUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) Dozens of nationalists protested against Pope Benedict's visit to predominantly Muslim Turkey and called on him to stay away from Aya Sofya, which was once Christianity's largest church and is now a museum.

Amid heavy police presence in central Istanbul, more than 50 supporters of the Grand Unity Party (BBP) waved banners displaying ''Pope get out of Turkey'' and chanted ''Aya Sofya is Turkish and will remain Turkish''.

Benedict will visit the Aya Sofya, known by its Greek name Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom), later today.

On conquering the city in 1453, Sultan Mehmet went to the church and prayed, turning it into a mosque. As part of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's drive to modernise Turkey, it was secularised and turned into a museum in 1934.

Nationalist and Islamist Turks were outraged when Pope Paul VI prayed at the museum in 1967, causing a diplomatic incident.

Turkish police have been deployed in force during Benedict's visit, but protests have been small.

REUTERS AB VV1552