US embassy cable - 05ISTANBUL1628

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISTANBUL 001628 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: ISTANBUL VATICAN REPRESENTATIVE SANGUINE ABOUT GOT 
INVITE TO POPE 
 
REF: ISTANBUL 1199 
 
Classified By: Consul General Deborah K. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
1.  (C)  In the Consul General's September 21 introductory 
call on Istanbul Apostolic Vicar Monsignor Georges Marovitch, 
Marovitch indicated that the Vatican is satisfied with the 
GOT's invitation to Pope Benedict XVI to visit Turkey in 
2006.  (Note: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I had invited 
the Pope to visit Istanbul on November 30 in connection with 
the celebration of an Orthodox holy day.  The GOT 
subsequently issued an official invitation to the Pope, with 
an unspecified 2006 date on offer.  End note.)  Marovitch 
underlined that while the Pope is a spiritual leader, he 
would also be visiting Turkey as a Head of State.  Given 
current tensions swirling around the proposed November visit, 
Marovitch judged that a 2006 date may even be preferable.  He 
was unwilling to speculate about what the Pope's program in 
Turkey might look like. 
 
2.  (U)  The Papal Nunciate in Ankara gave the same message 
to the Turkish press on September 21 - that the Pope is 
pleased with the invitation and that from its perspective 
what is important is that the Pope has been invited. 
 
3.  (C)  In response to CG's inquiry regarding the status of 
interfaith relations in Istanbul, Marovitch said his 
community shares other minority religion's concerns about the 
issue of property rights, but is generally satisfied with the 
overall state of interfaith dialogue.  He outlined several 
events in which he, personally, had participated, and 
confirmed that the Vatican will have representatives at a 
September 25-30 interfaith conference in Hatay, whose opening 
Prime Minister Erdogan will address. 
 
4.  (U)  Note: The last papal visit to Turkey was in November 
1979, when Pope John Paul II made a three day visit.  He was 
greeted at the airport by Turkish President Fahri Koruturk 
and also met with then Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I, at 
which time the two jointly announced the establishment of an 
international dialogue commission. 
JONES