Obama in Turkey to boost ties with 'critical ally'
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
ANKARA, April 6 (AFP): Turkish media hailed Monday US President Barack Obama ahead of his meeting with Turkish leaders aiming to revitalise US ties with the key Muslim ally.
Obama flew to Ankara Sunday with a strong message in support of Turkey's bid to join the European Union, earning himself a warm welcome in a country where his predecessor left the US image in tatters.
"Bravo Obama," the popular Sabah daily trumpeted on its front-page, while the mass-selling Hurriyet headlined in English: "Welcome, Mr President."
Obama's two-day visit is the final leg of his maiden trip to Europe and his first visit to a mainly Muslim country since becoming president in January.
He was to hold talks with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visit the Turkish parliament and address the general assembly.
"The president's address will reaffirm his belief that Turkey is a critical ally, and an important part of Europe," a senior US official said on condition of anonymity ahead of the talks.
That could send a chilly blast through otherwise warming US-Turkish relations.
AP adds: At a luncheon Sunday for leaders of the European Union's 27 nations in Prague, he said the West should seek greater cooperation and closer ties with Islamic nations. He suggested one way was by allowing Turkey to join the European Union - a contentious subject for some European countries. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after Obama's remarks that the decision was the EU's to make, not Washington's.
Americans remain unsure of what to make of Islam even as most people in the US think Obama should seek better relations with the Muslim world, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. About 55 per cent of Americans say they lack a good, basic understanding of the religion, the poll found, and 48 per cent have an unfavourable view of it.
Obama's trip to Turkey, his final scheduled country visit, ties together themes of earlier stops. He attended the Group of Twenty (G20) economic summit in London, celebrated NATO's 60th anniversary in Strasbourg, France, and Saturday visited the Czech Republic, which included a summit of European Union leaders in Prague.
Obama flew to Ankara Sunday with a strong message in support of Turkey's bid to join the European Union, earning himself a warm welcome in a country where his predecessor left the US image in tatters.
"Bravo Obama," the popular Sabah daily trumpeted on its front-page, while the mass-selling Hurriyet headlined in English: "Welcome, Mr President."
Obama's two-day visit is the final leg of his maiden trip to Europe and his first visit to a mainly Muslim country since becoming president in January.
He was to hold talks with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visit the Turkish parliament and address the general assembly.
"The president's address will reaffirm his belief that Turkey is a critical ally, and an important part of Europe," a senior US official said on condition of anonymity ahead of the talks.
That could send a chilly blast through otherwise warming US-Turkish relations.
AP adds: At a luncheon Sunday for leaders of the European Union's 27 nations in Prague, he said the West should seek greater cooperation and closer ties with Islamic nations. He suggested one way was by allowing Turkey to join the European Union - a contentious subject for some European countries. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after Obama's remarks that the decision was the EU's to make, not Washington's.
Americans remain unsure of what to make of Islam even as most people in the US think Obama should seek better relations with the Muslim world, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. About 55 per cent of Americans say they lack a good, basic understanding of the religion, the poll found, and 48 per cent have an unfavourable view of it.
Obama's trip to Turkey, his final scheduled country visit, ties together themes of earlier stops. He attended the Group of Twenty (G20) economic summit in London, celebrated NATO's 60th anniversary in Strasbourg, France, and Saturday visited the Czech Republic, which included a summit of European Union leaders in Prague.