Obama Urges Closer Ties With Turkey
By VOA News
06 April 2009
U.S. President Barack Obama says his country and Turkey can forge a model partnership of secular nations that can bridge the divide between Muslim nations and the West.
President Barack Obama and Turkey＇s President Abdullah Gul during joint news conference in Ankara, 06 Apr 2009
Speaking in Ankara with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Mr. Obama said while the U.S. has a large Christian population, it considers itself a nation of citizens, and that modern Turkey, a largely Muslim country, was founded on a similar set of principles.
The two men also discussed the need for Washington and Ankara to cooperate on terrorism, Iran and Mideast peace. Relations between the NATO allies have been strained in recent years.
As for the long-contentious issue of Turkish relations with Armenia, Mr. Obama said he has not changed his view that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks early last century was genocide. But he said he does not want Washington to interfere in what he called "fruitful negotiations" between Ankara and Yerevan.
Mr. Gul, who in keeping with Turkish policy rejects the term genocide, said the matter is a historical issue, not a legal one. He offered to open Turkish archives to anyone who would like to investigate the issue as part of a joint commission, adding Turkey would accept the findings.
Earlier Monday, Mr. Obama attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of modern Turkey＇s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The U.S. president will also meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visit the Turkish parliament and address the general assembly Monday.
Many Turks opposed the war in Iraq. Turkey also refused to give permission for coalition forces to attack Iraq from its bases.
Turkey is Mr. Obama＇s final stop on a tour that began last week in London with a summit of the Group of 20 major economies. He also participated in a NATO summit in Strasbourg, France and Baden Baden, Germany, before arriving in the Czech Republic for the U.S.-EU summit.
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