Rome - President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of Italy yesterday signed a pardon for the Turkish terrorist who shot and wounded the Pope 19 years ago, Philip Willan reports. Mehmet Ali Agca (42) was then extradited to Turkey last night. He left on a Turkish military aircraft from the Adriatic city of Ancona, near the prison where he was being held, Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI reported.
He faces a further prison sentence in Turkey for the murder of a newspaper editor.
Agca was sentenced to life imprisonment in Italy for his attempt on the life of Pope John Paul - three shots from a Browning pistol which struck the Pope in the hand, arm and abdomen as he was driven through the crowd in St Peter's Square on May 13th, 1981.