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President Obama Visited Turkey

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President Obama visited the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Turkey, March 31 - April 7, 2009. In the United Kingdom, the President attended the London Summit and work with other G-20 leaders to address the global financial crisis. In Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, the President participated in NATO Summit events. In Prague, Czech Republic, the President met with Czech officials and with leaders of European Union (EU) member states and the European Commission president.

On April 6-7, 2009, the President visited Turkey, a country that lies at the nexus of several cultures, and accordingly the President had several core messages. He emphasized his support for Turkey’s bid for membership in the European Union. In response to questions about whether there was a message being sent through the visit, he stated emphatically that there was indeed, namely that Turkey is a critical ally, vital in issues ranging from energy to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And addressing another element of Turkey’s culture, he spoke to the majority-Muslim population in a speech to the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

President Obama met with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, Swiss Foreign Minister (and mediator) Micheline Calmy-Rey, Turkish undersecretary of the foreign ministry Ertugul Apakan and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan at a reception in Istanbul, Turkey on April 6, 2009. The President met with the foreign ministers to commend them on recent progress in Armenia-Turkey normalization and urged them to complete an agreement between those two important countries.

Additionally, 100 students between 18 and 26 participated in a student town hall meeting with President Barack Obama. The students are studying in fields varying from political science to sports to fine arts. They come from all parts of Turkey including large cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Adana; cities from the southeast such as Diyarbakır and Mersin; and regions from the Black Sea. The students asked President Obama about a range of subjects including climate change, Turkey’s EU bid, and peace in the Middle East.

 

Remarks and Speeches


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  • Analysis: Obama Adds Turkey to Upcoming European Tour - Visit reflects hope for renewed ties with key ally and diplomatic partner (March 11, 2009)
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    Additional Resources

    London Summit Site (official UK Government site)

    NATO Summit page (official German Government site)

    60 Years of NATO page

    NATO Press Release

    European Union

    G-20 Site