Paul Keenan
The release of Mehmet Ali Agca on January 18 has prompted heightened expectation of answers to questions that have followed the Turkish gunman since his attempt on the life of Pope John Paul, not least whether he acted alone in striking at the Pontiff in 1981.
In a dramatic prologue to his release, Agca issued a statement promising to provide answers to all questions ''in the coming weeks''. However, anticipation needs to be balanced with a healthy dose of caution in this, given the nature of his latest statement and earlier pronouncements.
Media outlets dealing with Agca's pre-release statement used terms such as ''rambling'' and ''emotional and disconnected'' to describe its content, which called for a ''new American Empire that must become the centre of and the leader of international democracy, peace and freedom''.
Common enemies
In the same statement, Agca felt compelled to name Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla leader Abdullah Ocalan and Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot as ''the common enemies of all religions and all nations in the world.'' Terrorism, Agca further proclaimed, ''is the evil of the devil. All religions prohibit and condemn terrorism. The al Qaeda is a psychopathic criminal Nazi organisation.''
Comforting assertions intended for the world beyond his prison bars, perhaps, but just how reassuring for those hoping for a resolution to events in St Peter's Square in 1981?
Agca's tale around that remains marked with inconsistencies and worrying undercurrents.
In the hours after his assassination bid, Agca insisted he had acted alone, attempting to slot himself into the role of disaffected lone gunman. Later, however, tantalising claims of KGB assistance and Bulgarian secret service involvement were offered, and later still, withdrawn. Add to this Agca's claim not to have political leanings and the reality of his early links to Turkey's right-wing Grey Wolves organisation, and cause for a wary approach to any 'answers' is given.
'Perfect Bible'
More worrying yet, in response to questions from the press ahead of his release, Agca identified himself as a Messiah with intentions to write the ''perfect Bible'' and to invite Pope Benedict to proclaim ''the end of the world'', though, perhaps by way of appeasement, he also stated that if his Bible was found less worthy than ''the Vatican's...my Bible should be cast into the rubbish bin of history''.
In the light of these latter elements, how much merit can be given to Agca's statement of his intention to travel, after nearly 30 years' imprisonment, to Rome and pray at the tomb of Pope John Paul II ahead of his baptism (he claimed then to have shed his Muslim faith in favour of Catholicism in 2007). Even carrying through with the plan, what is to be made of it, other than another headline-grabbing moment in the absence of real answers to the mystery that is Mehmet Ali Agca?
