ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The visit of Pope Benedict XIV to Turkey has eased tensions sparked by a controversial speech he made earlier this year.
On his first day in Turkey the pope called for increased dialogue, peace and reconciliation between Christians and Muslims just months after a speech he gave at a university in Germany was denounced by some critics as anti-Islamic.
The pontiff this past September quoted from a conversation between an educated Persian and a 14th-Century Christian emperor who commented on the differences between Christianity and Islam.
The emperor said, according to the pope: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
The speech sparked an angry reaction in the Muslim world, and at the time, the pope's trip to Turkey was considered in danger.
Not much remains of that anger, however, after he met with political and religious figures, praised Islam as a peaceful religion and said he supported Turkey's bid to get into the European Union.
"This is a good beginning," Turkish conservative daily Hurriyet said after the first day.
On Wednesday, the pontiff continued his visit with a mass in Ephesus, where Mary, mother of Jesus, is said to have spent the last years of her life.
Referring to its location in Europe and Asia, he called Turkey a "natural bridge between the continents."
"So let's ask for peace and reconciliation from this location for all those people who live in the region that Christians, Jews and Muslims consider the Holy Land."
The pope Wednesday will meet with the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul.
