Mehmet Ali Ağca, the gunman who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II and killed Turkish journalist Abdi İpekçi, is considering getting married following his release from prison later this month, his lawyer, Hacı Ali Özhan, announced yesterday.Ağca served 19 years in an Italian prison for the 1981 attack against the pope and is nearing the end of a 10-year Turkish sentence for killing İpekçi in 1979.
He will be released Jan. 18.
Özhan said Ağca was in good physical and mental condition and does not have a military service obligation under a law that allows individuals who spend many years in prison to declare themselves not eligible for military service.
In a handwritten letter sent to The Sunday Times Ağca, who described himself in his letter as “sane and strong both physically and psychologically,” reportedly sought $2 million for an exclusive television interview and $5 million for two books, including his autobiography.
He has also written to Dan Brown, the author of the bestselling book “The Da Vinci Code,” about a book titled “The Vatican Code,” to be followed by a film.
The lawyer also noted that Ağca will begin considering book, film and television documentary offers after his release while dismissing claims that Ağca has a $2 million deal for an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
“It is true that Ağca receives many such offers. It would not be right to reveal the names of those proffering the offers without their permission. I’ve conveyed many offers from important publishing and cinema companies from Europe and the US to Ağca. Ağca makes an assessment of each offer. He has not yet made up his mind. He will make a decision after meeting with company officials after Jan. 18,” said Özhan.
European publishers, several of whom have expressed interest in Ağca, said his memoirs could be worth $3 million in publishing rights worldwide.
Addressing claims that Ağca is seeking asylum in a foreign country, Özhan said Ağca is still a Turkish citizen and can live in any part of Turkey and visit any foreign country.
Arrested just after the shooting, Ağca at first named three Bulgarians as his accomplices, saying he had been paid $1.2 million.
But at their trial he declared himself Jesus Christ and they were acquitted.
The pope met with Ağca in an Italian prison in 1983 and forgave him.
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