Türkiye's Director of Religious Affairs, Ali Bardakoglu, sharply condemned Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday after the pontiff made comments about Islam that appeared in Turkish newspapers, calling the statements deeply troubling and damaging to interfaith harmony.
Bardakoglu said he read the reports with shock and demanded that the Pope retract the remarks and issue an apology. He argued that prejudiced views of Islam are widespread in the West, and that Christianity has historically treated Islam as an adversary, citing the Crusades and the occupation of Istanbul as examples of violence carried out against Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox Christians alike.
He accused Western clergy of harboring a persistent crusader mentality and urged the Pope to reflect on his own tradition before commenting on Islam. The remarks, Bardakoglu said, showed no respect for another faith's sacred figures or scripture.
"If he is trying to malign the holy values of a religion, this is insolence," Bardakoglu said, warning that such statements risk inflaming religious tensions globally.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.