by Mike Dorning and Christi Parsons
President Barack Obama is planning a trip to Turkey as part of his administration's ongoing outreach to the Muslim world, a senior administration official said this morning.
The trip is meant to continue dialogue with leaders in Muslim countries, the official said. But it will not include the speech from a Muslim capital that Obama spoke of during his presidential campaign.
"Planning for the Turkey visit is just the beginning," the official said. "It will be an important opportunity to visit a NATO ally and discuss shared challenges."
Obama said in an address in the summer of 2007 that he would deliver an address in a "major Islamic forum" during the first hundred days of his administration. He said he would make it clear that "we are not at war with Islam" and that "we'll stand with those who are willing to stand up for their future."
But in an interview with the Tribune in December, Obama said he wasn't sure about the timing of that speech.
Earlier this week, the White House announced that the president is planning a trip to Europe the end of this month, and that he will be at the NATO meeting in Germany in early April.
Comments
Yes, Attaturk & all that.
"The most Western" Islamic country. (At least they seem to have invented genocide if that is an indicium of how "Westernized" they are.)
I'd be careful if I were Barack however.
Right wing religious fanatics everywhere.
Take the limo, not the copter.
Posted by: ornery | March 7, 2009 10:16 AM
Obama gave P.M. Gordon Brown a set of 25 dvd's as a gift. He'll probably give the leader of Turkey a frozen Butterball with the pop up timer.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | March 7, 2009 10:46 AM
Who gives a merd if the US is or is not at war with islam. I'M AT WAR WITH ISLAM AND GOD BACKS ME. Islam will be gone in a few short years when my Commander-In-Chief returns. So will Catholics and Protestants. And Hindus and Buddhists. And atheist leftists.
Posted by: Harold Reimann | March 7, 2009 2:29 PM
It's nice to see some actual good foreign policy in action instead of the BushCo Republicans shoot first and ask questions later crap that caused us to be hated all over the world.
Posted by: bubba Porter | March 7, 2009 6:36 PM
In response to the post below, Harold you are nothing but a red neck, cow towing ...bigotseriously!!!!! You are a big moron, my grandmother is moslem and won't a hurt a fly so for you to say that is just plain stupid and ignorant!!!!!!!
Who gives a merd if the US is or is not at war with islam. I'M AT WAR WITH ISLAM AND GOD BACKS ME. Islam will be gone in a few short years when my Commander-In-Chief returns. So will Catholics and Protestants. And Hindus and Buddhists. And atheist leftists.
Posted by: Harold Reimann | March 7, 2009 2:29 PM
Posted by: wale azeez | March 7, 2009 8:08 PM
Hey Ornery, why don't you check out the significance of the slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" before ignorantly claiming that another country invented genocide.
Posted by: JG | March 7, 2009 8:59 PM
...
I'M AT WAR WITH ISLAM AND GOD BACKS ME. Islam will be gone in a few short years when my Commander-In-Chief returns
Posted by: Harold Reimann | March 7, 2009 2:29 PM
....
The only thing you're at war with is reality, you psychopath.
You'll be getting a visit from the Secret Service soon.
Posted by: An Inconvienient Fact | March 8, 2009 12:47 AM
Here comes Obama on "APPEASEMENT ONE" the "FUNDAMENTAL CHANGED AIRPLANE"
VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
NO MORE SCHUMER
NO MORE PELOSI
Posted by: VJ Machiavelli | March 8, 2009 12:56 AM
From one bird to another.
Posted by: Paul | March 8, 2009 10:00 AM
He campaigned with the promise that he will push to stop the persecution of Christians in Turkey. Now he breaks his promise to the Christian world by not even visiting the Ecumenical Patriarch, the leader of 300,000 Orthodox Christians, worldwide during his visit. Even Bush met with the Patriarch. This is an insult not only to Orthodox Christians, but to all the Christians in the world.
Posted by: Tom | April 5, 2009 5:48 PM