Pope Benedict XVI reaches out to Muslim leaders from Germany's Turkish community today in a key goal of his first foreign trip.
The meeting will be the second test of interfaith relations following a visit to Cologne's synagogue, where
An Irish participant of the 20th World Youth Day wears a flag showing a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI on his hat.
Benedict was warmly received by Jewish officials for his remarks urging better Jewish-Christian relations and warning of rising anti-Semitism.
Reaching out to Jews and Muslims is one of the main themes of his trip, along with his effort to evangelise a Europe that many think is forgetting its Christian heritage.
Benedict will be greeted at the meeting by Rydvan Cakir, president of the Turkish-Islamic Union of the Institute of Religion, a social and religious group. Some 2.6 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany.
Since becoming pope, Benedict has steered a cautious course on Islam, saying little besides condemning the terrorist bombings in London as the work of "fanatics" who don't represent true Muslim faith.
Some Turks were dismayed when he became pope, however, because of remarks he made in his earlier role as the Vatican's chief of doctrine on the nature of multiculturalism and specifically about Turkey's aspirations to join the European Union.
He has said that multiculturalism is "fleeing from what is one's own" and urged Europe to return to its Christian roots, alarming some who see Turkey's future as part of a religiously diverse Europe.
And he said in an interview with the French publication Le Figaro that "Turkey has always represented a different continent, in permanent contrast to Europe."
In the morning, he'll meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Schroeder's opponent for re-election in September 18 elections, Christian Democratic Union opposition leader Angela Merkel. Both are Protestants.