Pope Benedict arrives in Turkey

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Istanbul (Turkey): Turkish security teams took up positions around Ankara and Istanbul as Pope Benedict XVI arrived for his first visit to a Muslim country.

Small protests broke out in both cities, but authorities say security measures for the pope – who angered Muslims worldwide with comments in September on Islam and violence – would be tighter than they were for the visit of President Bush.

Benedict arrived at the Ankara airport on Tuesday just before noon to meet briefly with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan waited until the day before Benedict's arrival to announce that he would make time to meet the pope.

On Tuesday shortly before leaving for the airport, Erdogan said he hoped Turks would be courteous and "show hospitality" to the pontiff.

News reports say some 3,000 police officers have been assigned to guard the pope. Snipers will watch from hillsides and tall buildings, and armored vehicles and riot police will be stationed near the areas he is scheduled to visit.

Police also were mobilizing and staking out spots in Istanbul, where Benedict will spend most of his four-day stay.

"We have taken all the necessary measures and observations of the route the pope (will travel) and the places the pope will visit," Istanbul police spokesman Ismail Caliskan said.

A test of tolerance

The visit to Turkey will be a test of whether this pope can soften some of the Christian-Muslim tensions that boiled over after the pontiff quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of Islam's prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman."

The pontiff's presence will also be a test of the Turkish public's willingness to tolerate criticism of Islam and their ability to coordinate a massive and potentially problematic visit.