Report: Man Who Shot Pope to Be Freed

[Tab]

ANKARA, Turkey - The man who shot
Pope John Paul II in 1981 will be released from a Turkish prison as soon as Monday after completing his sentence for crimes committed in his homeland, a news agency reported Sunday.

Mehmet Ali Agca was extradited to Turkey in 2000 after serving almost 20 years in Italy for shooting and wounding the pope in St. Peter's Square in Rome. His motive for shooting John Paul in the abdomen on May 13, 1981, remains unclear.

Agca, 47, was expected to be released as early as Monday, the semiofficial Anatolia news agency reported Sunday. He was expected to be immediately enlisted by the military for obligatory service because he had dodged the draft, Anatolia said.
...
His lawyer and family said they were unaware of the court decision.

"I'm surprised," his lawyer, Dogan Yildirim, told The Associated Press. "If it's true, justice will finally be served. He has been in prison for so long."
...
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the Vatican would defer to the judgment of the Turkish tribunal.
More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060108/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_pope_gunman;

[still_one]

1. Sorry but this is wrong

Germany did the same crap, they released a TERRORIST who hijacked a plane and killed an American sailor on that plane, and refused to extridite.

To remind everyone, Germany did a deal with black september to release the TERRORIST who killed the Israelii atheletes in the olympics. Unfortunately, Speilberg decided to miss represent what happened

A documentary produced in 1999, "One Day in September" presents what really happened

[daleo]

3. Most industrialized countries believe people can change in 25 years

The U.S. is fairly unique in its tendency to imprison people for more than 20 or so years, and for its fairly widespread use of capital punishment. It is kind of unusual, considering that the U.S. is also the most "Christian" of the more advanced industrial societies. Christianity is supposed to put a great emphasis on forgiveness and redemption, after all.

I think Turkey is trying to follow the European example here, as they are keen to join the EU.

[still_one]

4. I am against the death penalty, but not life imprisionment

especially for terrorism

Incidently, Turkey is not necessarily the bastion of compassion. Ask any Armenian or political prisioner

This is release is NOT because they are following the "European" example

Israel does NOT have capital punishment, Turkey does

[daleo]

7. I was thinking more along the lines of Europe and Canada

In Canada, for example, murderers are generally released after 25 years. There is a legal provision however, where someone can be judged a "dangerous offender" and be held longer (indefinitely, I think). It isn't used that often, though.

I don't know that much about Turkey's legal system, but I am speculating that they might want to follow the European model in this high profile case in order to not harm their chances of admission to the EU. It may be only because of this political angle, though.

I didn't mention Israel, since it wasn't really germane to the story. Their use of extra-judicial "targeted killings" in terrorism cases makes the claim that they don't have capital punishment pretty murky, in my opinion, though.

[still_one]

16. I need to make a correction

Turkey eliminated capital punishment in 2004. I didn't mean to misrepresent the discussion.

[athena]

19. Turkey's last execution was in 1984.

In 2002, Turkey banned capital punishment during peacetime. In 2004, it put a complete ban on it. But it effectively ended capital punishment in 1984.

Furthermore, any "information" you get from Armenians about Turkey will be at least as biased as what you get from Turks. In fact, it will be even more biased, because of the level of irrational hatred these people feel against Turks. If you want to learn anything about Turkey, go and see it for yourself. Then read a few scholarly books written by non-Turkish, non-Armenian, and non-Greek Westerners. I recommend Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds by Stephen Kinzer.

[still_one]

22. Thanks for the update

and you are correct the Armenians will be bias about Turkey, but to deny that the government of the Ottoman Empire did NOT systematically kill 1 million Armenians is ignoring history

I also conceed that my comments about the prisoner's release were without merit. He served the time for what he did as prescribed by law.

I was NOT trying to dis Turkey, and I do understand much of Turkey's problems were the alliances setup during world war I, and how the western powers humiliated Turkey after that conflict

In addition, I am well aware of the secular society and tolerance they have for all beliefs, but there are major issues and corruption. Because of the courage of their parliment not to allow their country to be used as a launching pad into Iraq, they have been hurt by the U.S. with badly needed financial aid. The worst thing I think the U.S. is doing though, is impowering the Kurds because of that, and it adds another variable to the instability that we have already created in the middle east

[mantrid]

27. Sorry, but that's nonsense

In fact the idea that Armernians, or indeed Turks or Greeks cannot, by virtue of their nationality, provide reliable historical accounts of the Turkish nation is bordering on bigotry. Unless you're claiming that nobody of any nationality can produce a reliable account of their own nation, in which case then that's just bizarre, at least from a historiographical point of view.

Personally, I think any "westerners" view of Turkey is as likely to be skewed (or not) as that of most scholars from the region, given the defining role of the Ottoman state in the development of the west and it's traditional and often largely groundless sinister associations here in the west- which persist to this day, as can be witnessed in the debate over Turkish EU-entry (which I oppose, but I think there are legitimate and illegitimate reasons to do so).

And I think that dismissing the feelings held towards Turkey amongst many Armenians as "irrational hatred" is simplistic to say the least; a people can not be blamed for the actions of some of their ancestors, but i think anger towards the turkish state, from Armenians and many others (myself included) about their continuing denial of the Armenian genocide is 100% rational and legitimate, and is thoroughly compatible with a balanced view of Turkey and its history.

[megatherium]

21. Extra-judicial "targeted killings" are acts of war by Israel.

They are at war with the Palestinian factions which have resorted to military action against Israel. Suicide bombings are not "terrorism" so much as they are acts of war (acts of war of a sort not considered to be ethical or legal by many nations, but acts of war nonetheless).

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. So what, praytell, is the reason for this release

according to you?

[northzax]

13. I'd say it's because he has served the time he was sentenced for

under Turkish law. The article explains it fairly well. He was sentenced to 36 years, which was lowered to 20 in a 2000 general amnesty after a regime change in Turkey. There is a segment in Turkish law that allows time served outside the country for the same crime to be applied to the sentence in Turkey. Therefore, as of 2000, he had 5.5 years left to serve.

So he was tried, convicted and served his sentence in Italy, then returned to Turkey to serve the remainder of his sentence for previous crimes. And, having served the time he was sentenced to under Turkish law, he is free to go. (until the Army gets him)

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. That seems eminently reasonable

Oh, that's right. You're not still_one.

Cheers. I agree.

[still_one]

17. I was in error

I thought he was parolled early

You are correct, if he completed the sentence under the law he should be freed

[fujiyama]

23. Some crimes shouldn't allow for "rehabilitation" or "redemption"

I'm sorry, but I don't believe in second chances for attempted murderers, murderers, rapists, child molestors, and the like.

I don't necessarily believe in executing them, because I dislike the idea of the state killing people. I am also against the capricious and arbitrary nature of the death penalty.

But I would not think twice about having certain people not see the light of day ever again. Life without perole is just.

[alcibiades_mystery]

26. Some crimes might

But it should not be a blanket sentence applied to a class of offenses, but a specific sentence applied to a singular crime and defendant. Giving a twenty year old life without parole for a single act seems stupid and cruel to me, primarily because that twenty year old will be a very different person in 25 years. But that's just me. I understand that the US criminal system has developed draconian revenge-lust in the last 30 years, and that it now caters to the worst sort of grandstanding and chest-thumping. So thump away.

[fujiyama]

24. I agree

The death penalty is not just, but I feel letting murderers and criminals off with such sort sentences is twisted.

European governments have at times behaved extremely cowardly (althout in this case, the US has done it too to some extent) in bending over towards terrorists and other criminals to get some assurance their nations will not be targets.

[On the Road]

25. There's a Lot More to the Story

Check out some of the language from the Wikipedia:

Mehmet Ali Ağca (born January 9, 1958) is a Turkish militant who shot Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Square on May 13, 1981.

Following the shooting, Pope John Paul II asked people to "pray for my brother (Ağca), whom I have sincerely forgiven." In 1983, Pope John Paul II and his would-be assassin Ağca met and spoke privately at the Italian prison where Ağca was being held. According to a United Press article, the Pope had kept in touch with Ağca's family over the years, having met his mother in 1987 and his brother a decade later....

In early February of 2005, during the Pope's illness, Ağca sent a letter to the Pope wishing him well and also warning him that the world would end soon. Later in February 2005, Pope John Paul II published his book "Memory and Identity: Conversations Between Millenniums" which includes his account of surviving the assassination attempt in 1981. The book is essentially a transcript of conversations he had in Polish with his close friends, political philosopher Krzysztof Michalski and the late Rev. Józef Tischner, in 1993 at his summer residence near Rome....

When the Pope died on April 2, 2005, Ağca's brother Adnan gave an interview in which he said that Mehmet Ali and his entire family were grieving, and that the Pope was a great friend to them. On April 5, 2005 CNN stated that Ağca would want to visit the Pope's funeral on April 8, 2005. However Turkish authorities rejected his request to leave prison to attend the late pontiff's funeral.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmet_Ali_Agca

It's a strange story. To me, Agca's change of heart and the Church's forgiveness of him support limiting his sentence.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. I think 25 years is sufficient for attempted murder

There are doubtless people on these boards who think he should be locked up for life without parole, though we have no such punishment for attempted murder even under our own draconian sentencing guidelines. He did 25, and he's doubtless a very different person now. Let him go.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. He's actually just finishing the sentence for a murder in Turkey

if you look at the details further down in the article - he served almost 20 years in Italy for the attempted murder of the Pope. Turkey has counted that time as part of his Turkish sentence.

[alcibiades_mystery]

OK

Nevertheless. Very few industrialized nations do life without parole. There was a big article in the NY Times in September about the relative newness of the 35 or 40 year stretch, even on a life sentence, here in the US. I'm partial to the idea that one changes in 25 years, and that holding any but the most outrageous monsters for longer than that is a bit much.

[still_one]

6. Yes, depending on the circumstances, a person can lose their privledge

of freedom

I assume you would be for Siran Siran getting parolled also, and you would be consistent. What if he killed the pope would it have made a difference?

Is there any crime where a person loses his freedom?

Incidently, I am against captital punishment, but not life imprisionment without parole I am all for

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. It's not a question of consistency

Sentencing should always be a question of singular evaluation and re-evaluation. Should Sirhan Sirhan be paroled? If he meets the basic criteria for parole, yes. Same for the Manson girls. Manson himself has proven himself to be a lifelong criminal and menace to society, and should remain in state custody. Same with others who continue to present a threat, and have not reached the end of their sentence.

I think life without parole is a bad sentencing option, and far overused in the United States. It makes the prisons more dangerous and wanted criminals more dangerous, and I'm not certain it acts as a deterrent at all. Same for the 90 year sentence, etc.

[athena]

20. You should read the NYT series on life without parole.

I used to be for life without parole until I read them.

To More Inmates, Life Term Means Dying Behind Bars, October 2, 2005
Jailed for Life After Crimes as Teenagers, October 3, 2005
Years of Regret Follow a Hasty Guilty Plea Made at 16, October 3, 2005
Serving Life, With No Chance of Redemption, October 5,2005

[bleedingheart]

9. John Paul forgave him....

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Pope/story?id=636765&page=2

[joeybee12]

12. My thoughts exactly....

...also, other countries view prison and confinement as a way to rehabilitate people--our justice system here in the US is simply about revenge.

[Endangered Specie]

11. From a coutry that refuses to admits its genocide...

Im not hardly suprised.

[Hyernel]

14. Luckily Pope Benny is a Sith Pope, and can use those lightning bolts...

... shooting out of his fingers to protect himself.

The Dark Side, he is.

[PittPoliSci]

18. i bet he hides a lightsaber just like Palpatine.