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Pope arrives in a humble Renault Clio

Journalists, standing at the front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, were surprised today by seeing Pope Francis arriving in a humble Renault Clio.

According to Euronews the Pope declined a state Mercedes, in favor of a humbler civilian vehicle for his trip from the Mosque to the Hagia Sofia Museum. Earlier though, there were reports that the Turkish authorities had not agreed with the Pope's request for "a humble car" because of the security concerns, reports

The pope surprised the journalists who were waiting for him in front of the Blue Mosque by arriving with a civilian car that did not carry a license plate. Earlier, it was reported that Turkish authorities had refused the pope's request for "a humble car" on the grounds of security, reports Hurriyet Daily News.

The Renault Clio is a small size passenger vehicle, made by Renault. The French automobile giant launched the Clio in 1990 and was already in it's 4th generation in 2012. This car has been one of the top selling vehicles in Europe since it's launch in 1990.