Word: turkeys
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...Finding common ground," "building bridges" and "coming together" - these are the by now familiar-sounding terms of U.S. President Barack Obama's foreign policy. On a two-day visit to Turkey, a mainly Muslim country deeply divided over the role of Islam in politics, expanding democratic rights and enacting European Union reforms, the President showed how it's done. From minority Christian leaders and Muslim mufti to Kurdish politicians and right-wing nationalists, Obama met with vastly disparate sections of Turkish society and managed to earn back at least some of the goodwill lost in recent years...
...capital, Ankara, where he addressed the parliament and met with leaders. "He met with the nationalist opposition but said 'Deal with your past.' He honored the government and hugged the President but asked for progress on normalizing relations with Armenia and improving Kurdish rights. For the secularists, he emphasized Turkey's secular identity but also spoke of respect for Islam's rich history." (See pictures of the Obamas abroad...
...President spoke strongly in favor of Turkey's effort to join the European Union - an issue that has divided the bloc, with heavyweight members like France and Germany firmly opposed to the prospect of a large, mainly Muslim member state. "The United States strongly supports Turkey's bid to become a member of the European Union," Obama said. "We speak not as members of the E.U., but as close friends of Turkey and Europe." (See pictures of the Obamas behind the scenes...
...Although Obama's praise for Turkey was plentiful, there was some tough love too. Using the example of the U.S. and its struggle in dealing with the legacy of slavery, he urged Turks to "reckon with their past" in dealing with the killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces in 1915. During last year's presidential campaign, Obama had said he would officially recognize the deaths as genocide. But in Ankara, he steered clear of the term - which Turkey rejects - and instead voiced support for Turkey's efforts to normalize relations with Armenia...
...Obama's address met with rousing applause from Turkish MPs and is likely to please Turks, many of whom had chafed at the Bush Administration's efforts to position Turkey as a "moderate Islamic state," weakening its officially secular identity. "He said Turkey is a country that's part of the Western world that happens to be Muslim. He's endorsing Turkey as a role model," said Soner Cagatay, head of the Turkish program at the Washington Institute, on CNN. "It's a speech that many Turks will remember for years to come...