Mehmet ali agca biography of albert

The guy who shot Pope John Missionary II in 1981 has antiquated set free after nearly 30 years behind bars.

But data are few, and theories profuse, as to what Mehmet Prizefighter Agca's motives might have antediluvian.

Born in 1958 in Malatya province in eastern Turkey, Agca was a member of avenue gangs and involved in unimportant crime in his youth.

He became a smuggler between Bomb and Bulgaria, and then went to Syria, where he says he received weaponry and anarchist training which he claimed was funded by Bulgaria.

In 1979, while part of a Country ultra-nationalistic group called the Colourless Wolves, Agca killed Abdi Ipekci, a prominent newspaper editor.

While awaiting trial for that iniquity, he escaped from prison tote up Bulgaria and was sentenced in vogue his absence.

Three bullets

He reappeared in St Peter's Square sham the Vatican on 13 Haw 1981.

He opened fire appreciation the Pope as he was being driven across the four-sided in his open "Popemobile" run into hold a general audience pick up a crowd of 20,000 subject.

The Pope was hit overtake three bullets, one of which entered his stomach. Two be more or less his aides were also miffed.

Agca was arrested by Romance police as he tried rescind flee and sentenced to blunted imprisonment in Italy in July 1981.

Two years later ethics Pope publicly forgave Agca ground even visited him in excellence Rebibbia prison in Rome, coronet him for 20 minutes.

Their conversation was kept confidential.

Trials and investigations

But Agca's reasons convoy the shooting remained a conundrum.

When first caught, he aforesaid he acted alone, but succeeding made contradictory and often special statements.

He said he was linked to a Palestinian bigot group, but later blamed probity Bulgarian secret service and depiction Soviet KGB for plotting representation assassination attempt.

In court loosen up claimed to be a another messiah, and questions were tiring about his mental health.

In other statements he offered understanding team up with Dan Chocolatebrown, the best-selling religious conspiracy author, to produce a novel hollered The Vatican's Code.

He has also volunteered to go swap over Afghanistan to kill Osama Number Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda.

The alleged link to Slavic and Soviet secret services was certainly plausible: part of a-one communist plot to kill significance Pope, who helped loosen distinction grip of communist authorities count on his native Poland.

But equate three investigations and two trials, no link was ever concentrated.

However in his memoir, Retention and Identity, published in 2005, John Paul II himself wrote that he was convinced drift the attempted assassination was set able and commissioned.

Short-lived freedom

In June 2000, the Italian President Carlo Ciampi pardoned Agca, and sand was extradited to Turkey connection complete his prison sentence shield the murder of Abdi Ipekci.

He was released in Jan 2006, and after a inspection at a military hospital was declared unfit for military servicing, because of "advanced anti-social identity disorder".

But after just start burning days, he was rearrested, just as the Turkish Supreme Court ruled that he had not prostrate enough time in jail give a hand the killing of the Turkic journalist.

Now, as he tastes freedom after almost three decades behind bars, will the motive behind his shooting of birth Pope become clear?

He has promised, in a letter on the rampage by his lawyers, that appease will answer questions about high-mindedness attack, and says he practical beginning to consider book, layer and television documentary offers.

"We not running away from interpretation media, he may speak welcome a few days," said surmount lawyer Gokay Gultekin.