Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 21 2009

Obama set for packed schedule on Turkey visit

US President Barack Obama will travel to Turkey together with his
wife, Michelle Obama. He will visit both Ankara and Ä°stanbul.

US President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey has been scheduled with
trips to both Ankara and Ä°stanbul, as he is due to arrive in
the Turkish capital on the evening of April 5 for a meeting with
President Abdullah Gül and one with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an the following day.

His stay in Ankara also includes a landmark address to the Turkish
Parliament and a visit to the mausoleum of Atatürk, founder of
the modern Turkish Republic. President Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama,
will be accompanying him on the visit, which is his first to a Muslim
country since taking office on Jan. 20. While Obama meets with
ErdoÄ?an in his office, Mrs. Obama will meet with
Mrs. ErdoÄ?an in a separate room, the news station NTV reported
yesterday.

Obama and ErdoÄ?an are expected to fly to Ä°stanbul
together to attend a meeting of the UN-backed Alliance of
Civilizations initiative there on April 7. It was not clear whether a
US or Turkish aircraft will be used. Following a lunch hosted by
ErdoÄ?an, Obama will take a boat tour of the Bosporus. He is
also expected to hold a joint press conference with ErdoÄ?an
before wrapping up his visit.

NTV said more than 10,000 vacation approvals for police officers have
been cancelled in Ankara, a sign that the strictest security measures
will be in place during the US president’s visit. The visit is seen a
sign of the Obama administration’s willingness to work with Turkey on
a number of key foreign policy aspects, including the stabilization of
Afghanistan and Iraq, and Iran’s nuclear program. The Turkish
government is likely to raise the issues of Armenian claims of
genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I and
cooperation in the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK).

21 March 2009, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL