NYT: Allure of Islam Signals a Shift Within Turkey
The New York Times reported that Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan finally agreed to meet the pope publicly just 24 hours before his visit, adding there was a shift to Islam in Turkey.

Washington Times: Turkey Moves to Islamist Future
The Washington Times claimed, "Although still a secular Muslim country, Turkey has been steadily moving toward an Islamist future. Clearly, Turkish secularism isn't as popular as it used to be, which is certainly hurting its bid for EU membership."

El Pais: Tight Measures Taken Due to Suicide Bomber Fears
Spanish newspaper El Pais wrote that Pope Benedict XVI will perform his visit amid tight security measures due to the polemic atmosphere and suicide bomber concerns.

The Financial Times: Senior Politicians out of Turkey
The Financial Times reports that a number of senior politicians have found urgent reasons to be out of the country for much of this week. With a general election next year, Turkish politicians are wary of being photographed with such an unpopular public figure as the pope.

Le Monde: Pope's High Risk Visit
French newspaper Le Monde wrote that Pope Benedict's Turkey visit was "quite risky," adding more security precautions were taken for the pope when compared to the U.S. President George W. Bush.

El Mundo: Visit Begins Amid Polemics
Spanish Daily El Mundo wrote that the pontiff's Turkey visit began with polemics due to the Turkish government and public's reaction against his outrageous statements about Islam in Germany. The paper wrote that a wide scale security operation was conducted for Pope's visit against any probable attacks.