ISTANBUL

Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who tried to assassinate John Paul II in 1981, said Thursday the Vatican has not acknowledged his request to meet Pope Francis while he is in Istanbul.

Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Agca said the Holy See did not reply to his request to hold a meeting with the pontiff.

“I will not meet with the Pope even if he invites me,” Agca said, claiming that the current pontiff – who will arrive in Turkey on Saturday – has no reason to fear him.

“A single bullet is worth 10 Turkish liras ($4). The Pope’s life is not worth five Turkish liras in God’s eyes. A bullet has honor. Am I going to fire a bullet? No,” Agca said.

The Argentine pope will be the fourth pontiff to visit Turkey after Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, Pope John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Paul VI in 1967.

Ali Agca shot John Paul II four times on May 13th 1981, as the Polish pope was riding in an open car through St Peter’s Square in the Vatican. The pontiff was wounded in the abdomen, left hand and right arm but survived.

Agca - who served 19 years in an Italian prison for the assassination attempt - was pardoned by John Paul II in 2000. He was later extradited to his home country to serve a 10-year sentence for other crimes, including the murder of prominent Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci.

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