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Obama encourages Armenian dialogue,seeks a "model" with Turkey

by Fulya Ozerkan

ANKARA - U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday his views on the 1915 incidents remain unchanged but that he was encouraged by the ongoing dialogue between Turkey and Armenia. He also said Turkey and the U.S. can build a model partnership. (UPDATED)

For special coverage of Obama's Turkey visit

Photo Ed: Obama's symbolic visit to Turkey

Photo Ed: Protests to Obama's Turkey visit

"My views (on 1915 incidents) are not changed. What I have been encouraged by a series of negotiations in place between Armenia and Turkey to resolve outstanding issues. I want to be as encouraging as possible in moving negotiations move forward," Obama told at the joint press conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

"I want to focus not on my views right now, but on the views of the Turkish and Armenian people. If they can move forward... the entire world should encourage them," added Obama, who had pledged to recognize Armenia’s claims during his presidential campaign.

Gul said Turkey is ready to face with the historic events and reiterated his country's proposal of forming a commission of academics and historians to investigate the issue. "These historic issues were brought on the agenda on political grounds, mostly by the diaspora, who wants to protect its own identity," he said.

Turkey is in talks with Armenia to normalize relations and he was hopeful for a positive outcome, Gul added.

Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. Turkey rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at least as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.

Turkey has offered to form a joint commission to investigate what happened in 1915 and opened all official archives. Armenia however has continued to drag its feet on accepting the offer.

"US-Turkey model partnership"

Obama said Turkey and the U.S. can build a model partnership that involves a predominantly Christian nation and a predominantly Muslim nation; a Western nation and a nation that lies between two continents.

"We can create a model that is a modern international community that is respectful, secure and prosperous and there are not tensions between cultures. This is extremely important. One of the strengths of the US is that we have a Christian population but we feel ourselves nation of citizens. Modern Turkey was built on similar values as a secular country respecting religious freedom, rule of law and all freedoms. We are going to deliver this message to the world," Obama added.

Gul said at the conference that he discussed the strategic aspects of relations with the U.S. during his meeting with Obama.

Turkey and the United States have been working together from the Balkans to the Middle East, Gul added.

The two leaders also reiterated their commitment in joint fight against terror and said they want to improve economic ties between the two countries.

Meeting with Erdogan

Obama met with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan later in the day.

"The United States is very much looking forward to continuing its partnership with Turkey and is convinced that the Turkish government will be excellent partners," Obama told reporters at a joint press appearance with Erdogan.

During their meeting, Obama told Erdogan that he would follow up the realization of the guarantees he assured to Turkish officials last week in a bid to overcome Turkey's objections to Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's candidacy for the top NATO post.

The joint struggle with the terror organization PKK, Turkey-Armenia relations, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the Turkey-mediated Syria-Israel peace talks were among the issues discussed in the meeting between Obama and Erdogan.

Obama arrived in Istanbul late on Monday to make a brief appearance at the U.N. backed Alliance of Civilizations, a forum sponsored by Turkey and Spain to promote understanding between the Western and Islamic worlds.

On Tuesday, he will hold talks with religious leaders, hold a round-table meeting with university students and visit two Istanbul landmarks, the Hagia Sophia church and the Blue Mosque, before leaving Turkey.

Obama speaks at Parliament

Obama officially began his Turkey visit after laying a wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to pay his respects to the founder of the modern Turkish Republic.

Obama slowly climbed the massive flight of stairs and passed through soaring stone columns of red, white and green marble to lay a red-and-white wreath at the huge sarcophagus of Ataturk. He observed a moment of silence under the gold mosaic ceiling.

"I am honored to pay tribute to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a man whose vision, tenacity, and courage put the Republic of Turkey on the path of democracy and whose legacy continues to inspire generations around the world.

"As the 44th President of the United States of America, I look forward to strengthening relations between the U.S. and Turkey and supporting Ataturk’s vision of Turkey as a modern and prosperous democracy giving hope to its people and providing 'peace at home, peace in the world'," Obama wrote in the commemorative guest book.

Obama later headed for the Turkish Parliament where he made a speech to lawmakers and met the speaker and the leaders of the policitial parties.

The U.S. president, welcomed by Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, held separate talks with Deniz Baykal, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, and Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, and Ahmet Turk, the leader of pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP.

Tight security measures
Tight security measures have been taken in both Istanbul and Ankara for Obama's visit. In Ankara many roads on the convoy's route have been blocked, and thousands of policemen from special operations teams have been deployed, while mobile phone jammers have been activated in the area.

Obama is unlikely to make his earlier-promised speech to warm ties with the Muslim world in the first 100 days of his presidency during his Turkey trip.