Mehmet Ali Agca, who made headlines in 1979 for the assassination of Abdi İpekçi, the then Editor-in-Chief of Milliyet Newspaper, and later for his audacious escape from prison, only to attempt an assassination on Pope John Paul II in Vatican City in 1981, has arrived in the district of Iznik in Bursa. He is there with the intention to meet Pope Leo XIV, the new spiritual leader of the Catholic world. Notably, Agca was forgiven by the Pope he had once targeted.
Source: DHA
Mehmet Ali Agca made an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II during a general audience ceremony held at the Vatican on May 13, 1981. As the Pope was moving through St. Peter's Square in an open vehicle to greet the crowd, Agca fired four shots from a handgun, causing severe injuries to the Pope. Agca was apprehended by the crowd following the incident and handed over to Italian police. He was subsequently tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. Years later, Pope John Paul II visited Agca in prison, announcing that he had forgiven him.
Following his visit to the Ayasofya Mosque, Mehmet Ali Ağca shared his thoughts, 'An extraordinary event took place in Iznik about 1700 years ago. Certain Gospels were accepted while others were rejected, and thus, a narrative was formed. The Pope's impending visit here is, of course, an exceptional circumstance. I extend a warm welcome to him. We take great pleasure in receiving him as a guest. We also hold in high regard the significant contributions the Vatican has made towards world peace.'
Ağca stated, 'I am at the center of a divine plan, a concept the world has failed to grasp. Misleading labels like 'terrorist' are being thrown around about me. The real terrorist is Netanyahu; he is a satanist, a Zionist monster, he is the true terrorist. I believe that the Vatican shares my perspective on this matter. Therefore, I am of the opinion that it is crucial for us to maintain our friendship with the Vatican.'
Addressing the allegations regarding Pope Leo XIV's visit to Iznik, Ağca continued, 'There are some rather naive and primitive conspiracy theories floating around. People are saying, 'The Pope is coming here for this reason.' No, he is simply coming here to proclaim his faith to the world. And we welcome this with respect. To each their own when it comes to religion; there is no compulsion in religion. We are people who respect religious freedom. That's all there is to it.'
Ağca openly states, 'We extend a warm welcome to the Pope. I hope that Turkey will host him in the best possible way and bid him a fitting farewell. We should foster friendly relations; I firmly believe that we need to establish good ties with the Vatican. Today, billions of people from Africa to Asia are embroiled in unnecessary conflicts. These are not religious disputes, but brawls incited by savage capitalism and rampant Zionism. Satanic, Zionist structures are attempting to pit believers against each other to maintain their own power. We must not fall into these traps; when I say 'we', I mean all of humanity. The world already has enough problems, let's live in peace. I reiterate my welcome to the Pope. I hope that today or tomorrow, be it in Iznik or Istanbul, we will have the opportunity to speak, even if it's just for a few minutes.'