Word: turkeys
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American presidents have visited Turkey before but never this soon into their presidency. That's just one reason why Barack Obama's arrival this Sunday evening has all of Turkey aflutter. Turks see Obama's visit as proof of his commitment to building bridges with the Muslim world, as well as a reflection of the new administration's desire to have Turkey - with a Muslim majority but officially secular, democratic and a candidate for E.U. entry - play a much bigger role in the wider region...
...chosen one that had fraught relations with his predecessor in the White House. In 2003, Ankara broke with its traditional ally by refusing U.S. troops passage through Turkish territory to neighboring Iraq, an act of defiance from which ties never fully recovered. Public support for the U.S. in Turkey fell to historic lows as the war progressed. Washington was further aggravated by the Turkish government's pursuit of greater engagement with the Islamic world, including an energy deal with Iran and talks with leaders from the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (See pictures of Obama's travels in Europe...
...Both Washington and Ankara seem ready to start over. Both see Turkey playing an important role in regional issues, from Syrian-Israeli peace talks to oil and gas security in the Caucasus and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. "Under Bush, Ankara and Washington were divided on many fronts," says Sahin Alpay, politics professor at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul. "With Obama, they are moving closer together on all of these...
...During his stay, Obama is expected to seek Turkish support for his Afghanistan and Pakistan plans, a cornerstone of his foreign policy. Turkey currently maintains about 900 soldiers in Afghanistan as part of the NATO contingent there, and, as the only Muslim country involved, its presence is crucial to securing support on the ground. Obama is expected to push for an increase in Turkish forces and to ask for Ankara's help in facilitating a smooth withdrawal from Iraq...
...Obama's influence has already been telling. On Saturday he convinced Turkey to drop its objections to Dane Anders Fogh Rasmussen becoming the next head of NATO. Turkey had threatened to veto Rasmussen because of his handling of a 2006 crisis over controversial Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad. According to White House officials, Obama promised Turkey that one of Rasmussen's deputies would be a Turk and that Turkish commanders would be present at the alliance's command...