ANKARA, Turkey — During his first 100 days in power, as a part of his first presidential visit to Europe, U.S. President Barack Obama chose to come to Turkey, where the United States’ image was damaged by the war in Iraq and the tone set by the Bush administration.
Even before arriving in Turkey, Obama had already made it clear that he gave great importance to Turkey. He said he would keep relations close, as evident at the NATO summit, where he played a very active role in persuading the Turkish side to approve Danish PM Anders Fogh-Rasmussen’s selection as the new secretary general, and during the European Union Summit in Prague, where he urged the EU leaders to accept Turkey as a member, emphasizing that it would be a positive sign to the Muslim world.
Obama arrived in Ankara on April 5 and kicked off with a visit to Ataturk’s mausoleum. He signed the guest book and concluded by quoting one of the most popular sayings of Ataturk: “Peace at home, peace in the world.” In addition to the bilateral talks he held with President Gül, Prime Minister Erdoğan, and Parliament Speaker Toptan, Obama met with the leaders of the opposition parties. He then addressed the Turkish parliament, where he was called to the podium with an emphasized reference to his middle name, “Hussein
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