Erdogan to attend NATO summit, but can meet Pope at airport

Erdogan responded to questions regarding the pope's visit to Turkey on Turkey's TGRT News. Erdogan recalled he would leave for the NATO summit the day the pope arrived, adding: "If the pope's arrival coincides with my departure, we could meet at the airport."

Reuters argued, in a report based on Turkish governmental sources, Turkish and Vatican authorities were holding talks to arrange a meeting between the pope and Erdogan at the airport ahead of his departure to the Latvian capital of Riga.

"We cannot change our program [the Riga Summit] just because the Pope is coming to Turkey. The Riga Summit hosts heads of states and governments and provides us with the opportunity to speak with them all. It is impossible to cancel this trip," Erdogan remarked.

Fielding journalist's questions during the Summit of World Economic Forum, Erdogan said that he wanted to tell the Turkish and world press one last thing on the matter as he stressed that there was an ingrained discipline in international diplomacy and relations were handled within those diplomacies.

Adding that he had asked whether it would be possible to welcome the Pope two days before or after the summit, Erdogan continued:

"We must be present at the Riga Summit, and this has been communicated to our respected guest. The present date was deemed suitable according to their [the Vatican] program. Therefore, his visit to Turkey will be realized accordingly... Above all, states don’t owe their existence to individuals, but to systems. And according to the system, Mehmet Ali Sahin works in my place in my absence as my deputy, and he will host the pope at the Camli Mansion."

Prime Minister Erdogan recalled that it was the Turkish President who was the real inviter and that the pope would meet with the president. He said that he appointed State Minister Besir Atalay to welcome the Pope on his behalf.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan also noted that the Pope's Turkish counterpart, the Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs Ali Bardakoglu, would meet with him as a part of the visit.

During an interview with Italian Rai1 TV, Erdogan indirectly criticized the pope for attacking Islam in a speech delivered two months ago, adding: "Muslims have never attempted to insult prophets of other religions. On the contrary, Islam decrees to respect them. Therefore, we have the right to expect followers of other religions to behave likewise." Zaman