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ANKARA - Pope Benedict XVI met Tuesday with Ali Bardakoglu, secular Turkey's top religious official, who had slammed the pontiff for his remarks on Islam in September.
The two men, both dressed in white ceremonial robes and accompanied by their respective delegations, chatted for about a quarter of an hour and exchanged presents before shaking hands for the cameras.
The two delegations then began closed door talks and Benedict XVI and Bardakoglu were later scheduled to make a statement before the press.
Bardakoglu, the director of religious affairs, had accused Benedict XVI of harboring "hatred in his heart" for Muslims after the pope appeared to link Islam with violence.
In an interview Monday, Bardakoglu said the pope's four-day visit to Turkey, although "a step in the right direction," would not suffice to heal the hurt his comments had caused.