A time to reflect

In relation to the recent apostolic journey of Benedict XVI we publish a comment written for SirEurope by Otmar Oehring, an expert on international affairs and in particular on Turkey, and head of the “Human Rights” section at Missio, the great German Catholic organization for missionary cooperation.Contrary to what was feared, Benedict XVI’s journey to Turkey has proved a great success: foreign commentators think so, with some surprise; the larger part of their Turkish colleagues also think so. The statements of the Vatican, and in particular those of the representatives of the Turkish Bishops’ Conference, also suggest that the papal visit to Turkey really was a success. It cannot be denied that with his visit to Turkey, his visit to the President of the Turkish Office for Religious Affairs, Ali Bardakoglu, his address at the Nunciature in Ankara and lastly his visit to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the Pope has made an important contribution to Islamic-Christian dialogue. Awaited by some in Turkey as a “crusader”, the Pope, by his words and gestures, won over the hearts of a large part of the Turkish population. It is to be hoped that the effects of the Pope’s visit to Turkey, in terms of sympathy for the Pope and for Christianity, will endure. Turkey is in fact going through an important period in its history. In recent days the countries of the European Union reached an agreement to slow down the process of Turkey’s membership. The 25 Foreign Ministers of the EU agreed partially to freeze the negotiations for Ankara’s accession, as already recommended by the European Commission on 29 November: a form of pressure in response to Turkey’s failure to open its ports and airports to merchandise from Cyprus. Even if in the last analysis it’s only a partial “suspension”, eight of the 35 chapters into which the negotiations are divided having in fact been suspended, it could lead to a deterioration of relations between the formally Christian states of the EU and Turkey. It cannot even be excluded that, in these terms, people in the country might begin once again to speak of Europe as a “Christian Club”, which according to many Turks rejects Islamic Turkey for no other reason than the religious affiliation of the majority of its population. Against this background, the announcement of Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone came as a pleasant surprise. He reported that, during a conversation with Turkish Vice-Premier Mehmet Ali Sahin, assent had been given to the establishment of a mixed workgroup with the task of discussing the problems of the Catholic Church in Turkey and formulating proposals for their solution. Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan had already agreed to the setting up of workgroups of this kind during a meeting with the Turkish Bishops’ Conference held in the summer of 2004. It is to be hoped that the establishment of the workgroup now approved will be delayed no longer. Cardinal Bertone’s further observation, expressing the Vatican’s hope that Turkey would be able to satisfy the conditions for membership of the EU, also raises the hope that the Catholic representatives of this workgroup may seek solutions such as to achieve the objective of realizing full freedom of religion in Turkey, in conformity with article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, while at the same time avoiding any such solutions being misunderstood as “separate peace deals” by the other Churches present in Turkey. If this were to be obtained, the Pope’s visit would truly have a positive long-term effect both for Turkey and for the Churches present in Turkey.