THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama will visit Turkey next month, fulfilling a campaign pledge to travel to a Muslim country during his first 100 days in power.
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, made the announcement on Saturday as she met with the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeking to enlist Turkish help in moving forward the Middle East peace process.
Mr Obama's visit to Turkey will be an opening step in his long-standing promise to improve relations with the Muslim world. The visit, which will follow the G20 summit in London on April 2, is expected to coincide with the Second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations, due to be held in Istanbul on April 6 and 7. The forum seeks to "address some of the ongoing tensions and divides across cultures and religions".
Making a major speech there on US-Muslim relations will enable Mr Obama to tick off another campaign promise. Although by choosing Turkey, which is generally regarded a bastion of moderate Islam, he will opting for a less challenging political environment than if he were to travel to the heart of the Arab world. >>> By Tim Shipman in Washington | Saturday, March 7, 2009
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Obama Visit to Turkey Will Not Include Major Speech
WASHINGTON — President Obama will visit Turkey next month as part of a broader international trip, but an administration official said on Saturday that it would not be the site of the major address that he pledged to deliver in a Muslim capital during the opening months of his administration. >>> | By The New York Times | Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
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