The first headline: TURKEY: GROUP OCCUPIES ISTANBUL'S HAGIA SOFIA

A group of 50 people on Wednesday occupied the Hagia Sophia museum, which is due to be visited by Pope Benedict XVI during his historical trip to Turkey beginning on 28 November. It was not immediately clear why the group decided to raid the building.

Hmm. I wonder. Surely, it couldn't be a MUSLIM group could it? They're the Religion of Peace, I'm sure they wouldn't do anything like this.

The next headline: PROTESTS AGAINST POPE 'AIMED AT DISTANCING COUNTRY FROM EUROPE'

Wednesday's prayer protest by some fifty Muslims at Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum against Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to Turkey, and which turned violent...

From the IHT:

On Wednesday, the police detained about 40 members of a Turkish nationalist party who had occupied one of Istanbul's most famous buildings, the Hagia Sophia, to protest the papal visit.

The demonstrators belonging to the Great Unity Party entered the former Byzantine church and mosque, shouting "Allahu akbar!" - "God is great!" - and then knelt to pray.

They also shouted a warning to Benedict: "Pope, don't make a mistake, don't wear out our patience."

When the group refused to surrender, a police officer used pepper spray on them.

The protesters were rounded up and loaded into police buses that took them to a nearby station for questioning, the police said.

The Felicity party is not very felicitous.
"If this trip would have occurred under normal conditions, then these lands, the center of tolerance and love, would show the necessary hospitality to him," said a statement from the opposition pro-Islamic Felicity Party, which is calling for a protest against the pope's visit on Sunday in Istanbul.

"But we don't want to see him on our soil because of the remarks he made about Islam's Prophet Muhammad on Sept. 12 and for not apologizing afterward."(ed. note: Not apologize? I thought he did everything but kiss their a$$ in Macy's window!)

Just for grins let's review recent activities of the ROP in Turkey... 3 years ago Al Qaeda was blamed for the death of 58 people in a wave of suicide bombings against synagogues and British interests. 70 suspected AQ members are awaiting trial.
A Turkish teenager shot and killed a Catholic priest as he prayed. Since then, two more priests have been assaulted.

The last pope shooter and murderer wants to meet Pope Benedict. I don't think so, nutball.