President Barack Obama, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, spoke to the Turkish Parliament in Ankara on Monday.
Obama reached out to the Muslim world telling the audience that the U.S. was not at war with Islam and wanted a relationship that went beyond simply battling terrorists.
Many analysts think that Obama wants to use Turkey's secular government as a model in his relationship with Islamic nations.
President Barack Obama's television interview on Al-Arabiya was a bold move and a big break from what Americans have gotten used to over the last eight years.
In a little over a week, Obama has made some sea changes in certain policy areas even if in some cases this just amounts to getting the country back to "normal."
Even many Obama critics were delighted by the president's willingness to accept such a risky interview, which could have produced some awkward moments. Also surprising was Obama's willingness to discuss the tough Israeli-Palestinian problem were tensions are still high after the recent ceasefire in Gaza. The lull in fighting was interrupted today as Israeli aircraft retaliated after one of their soldiers was killed by a bomb while on patrol. The attacks come just as U.S. envoy George Mitchell began his Middle East tour.
Obama sends clear signal via Arab TV Financial Times -51 minutes ago By Roula Khalaf in London and Edward Luce in Washington Barack Obama has given his first television interview as US president to a Saudi-backed channel, reinforcing his message to the Muslim and Arab worlds that "Americans are not your enemy". Video: Obama's First Formal Interview on Al-Arabiya TVAssociatedPress
