AFP: ANKARA — US President Barack Obama will visit Turkey on April 6-7, following an invitation from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend a forum aimed at fostering dialogue between the West and the Muslim world.
Erdogan said late Wednesday he had invited Obama to attend a meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative in Istanbul on April 7 and expressed surprise that the US president responded with a proposal also for an official visit to Ankara the day before.
"I didn't expect (an official visit) that soon," Erdogan said in an interview with TGRT television, adding that Obama was expected to attend the Istanbul forum as well.
"The official visit will be probably combined with the Alliance of Civilizations meeting... That is very meaningful for us," he said.
Predominantly Muslim, secular Turkey is a NATO member and a close ally of the United States in a troubled region.
The UN-backed Alliance of Civilizations initiative was launched in 2005 in a bid to help overcome prejudices and misunderstandings between different cultures and religions. It is co-chaired by Turkey and Spain. >>> Copyright © 2009 AFP | Thursday, March 19, 2009
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