ANKARA - Members of Diyanet-Sen, an imans' union with the Religious Affairs Directorate, asked authorities on Tuesday to launch legal proceedings against Pope Benedict XVI and to arrest him when he visits the country in November.

Union members presented a petition to the Justice Ministry asking it to launch a probe into the pope's remarks and to detain him when he arrives, the Anatolia news agency reported.

They said the pontiff had violated Turkish laws upholding freedom of belief and thought by ?insulting? Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.

The protesters held banners that read ?Either apologize or don't come.?

The directorate controls all imams in Turkey, writes their Friday sermons and sends prayer leaders to Turkish communities abroad. Ali Bardakoglu, head of the directorate, has criticized the pope's remarks but has also welcomed his subsequent apology.

It is not uncommon for individuals or organizations in Turkey to seek legal action against world leaders of whose actions they disapprove. They have never succeeded.

The head of an Ankara-based law association on Monday submitted a request to the Justice Ministry demanding that the pope be arrested upon entering Turkey. Fikret Karabekmez, chairperson of the Association of Protection of Rights and Legal Research (HUKUK-DER), called for Pope Benedict XVI to be tried under several statutes of Turkish law, among them laws punishing obstruction of freedom of belief, encouraging discrimination based on religion and inciting religious hatred among the people.

Benedict XVI is due to pay an official visit to Turkey on Nov. 28-30, his first to a Muslim country since he became pope.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the pope's comments about Islam as ?ugly,? but the government has said it still expects the visit to go ahead on schedule.

A Turkish diplomat on Monday said that it remained committed to Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit, and a Catholic bishops' meeting in Istanbul said the trip was expected to be held as planned. Tension over remarks made by the pontiff last week remains high across the Muslim world.