Destination, Turkey
posted at 12:16 pm on March 7, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
During the campaign, Barack Obama promised to visit a Muslim nation in the first 100 days of his administration as a gesture of friendship. Speculation over the destination has increased since his inauguration, with the early betting going heavily to Indonesia, where he spent a few years of his childhood. Instead, Hillary Clinton announced today that Obama would visit Turkey, which makes more sense diplomatically as well as symbolically (via William Amos):
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, made the announcement on Saturday as she met with the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeking to enlist Turkish help in moving forward the Middle East peace process.
Mr Obama’s visit to Turkey will be an opening step in his long-standing promise to improve relations with the Muslim world. The visit, which will follow the G20 summit in London on April 2, is expected to coincide with the Second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations, due to be held in Istanbul on April 6 and 7. The forum seeks to “address some of the ongoing tensions and divides across cultures and religions”.
Making a major speech there on US-Muslim relations will enable Mr Obama to tick off another campaign promise. Although by choosing Turkey, which is generally regarded a bastion of moderate Islam, he will opting for a less challenging political environment than if he were to travel to the heart of the Arab world.
Unlike the Telegraph, I see that as a feature and not as a bug. It sends exactly the right message: that the US will engage Muslims who organize in rational ways and allow political freedom ahead of other nations that oppress and radicalize their people. Indonesia may not have been a bad choice either for that message, but they have not succeeded as well as Turkey in keeping radicalism out of their politics and their governance. Obama may not be opting for a “less challenging political environment” but instead challenging other Muslim nations to emulate that environment.
Also, it sends a message to other Muslim nations about Israel. Turkey and Israel have close ties, with Turkey being the first Muslim nation to recognize Israel (1949), as well as a major importer of Israeli arms. Of late, those ties have been strained by Israel’s operations in Gaza last year, but the links remain strong. The symbolism of putting Turkey ahead of other Muslim nations in this regard cannot be overlooked, either.
Turkey has long been a friend of the West and the US, and should be recognized for those efforts. This is an excellent choice.
Blowback
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I hope this signals some kind of positive choices on o’s part. We can only hope.
jeanie on March 7, 2009 at 2:15 PM
The Cult of Obama, historians will write books about it, where they will compare Americans living in a Republic (Free People) acting like North Koreans living in a Communist Country SEE Kim Jong ILLin. You know they say when you talk to babies it doesn’t matter what you say, it is the tone you use. That is what Obama does he speaks in a soothing tone, the people who bought into Obamedia, didn’t hear one word he said….they just heard how he said it.
Dr Evil on March 7, 2009 at 2:17 PM
First trip he has made that I will approve of, as it gets him out of the country. Sadly, the nightly news will have his face again plastered all over the screen. Sooooo tired of seeing it. I’m depressed enough. Hope he stays a long time.
hillbilly on March 7, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Hey! My Showtime rocks! The liquid injector is great for a white wine,garlic and sage mixture into turkey also.
thomasaur on March 7, 2009 at 2:18 PM
you just know he’d rather go to Pakistan, his spiritual home.
JohnBissell on March 7, 2009 at 2:46 PM
DestinationDefinition: Turkey.Fixed that for ya…
SuperCool on March 7, 2009 at 2:51 PM
SouthernGent on March 7, 2009 at 1:39 PM
For 2 months in office, that’s almost a nose-dive of sorts.
youngTXcon on March 7, 2009 at 3:08 PM
This word “another”… isn’t it normally used to indicate that something has gone before it? Obama is ticking off lots of things, including me, but not campaign promises!
drunyan8315 on March 7, 2009 at 3:08 PM
***
Turkey used to be a U.S. ally. It is no longer one–remember the refusal to allow the “fourth column” of U.S. Military to use / overfly their country during the drive into Iraq.
***
All U.S. foreign aid and trade to Turkey should have been shut down. It wasn’t–we rewarded them for their actions against us. Turkey may soon fall to the radical Islamists being trained in the Saudi Arabian madrassahs there.
***
Kemal Ataturk had the Turkish Military enforce a secular society after the breakup of the Ottoman empire there after World War 1. This is no longer happening.
***
Maybe President Obama (PBUH) can apologize for our interference in Turkish affairs. A large U.S. taxpayer money bribe to Turkey should help a lot.
***
I hope President Obama and his family make it back unharmed from Turkey. As I remember it was a “crazy” Turkish student who shot the Pope in Italy a few decades ago. The Islamists have very long memories–and any American is a valid target to them.
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on March 7, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Turkey is not all that rational. The Turkish legal system has a formal legal defense for honor killings and their “secularism” such as it is is a forced one. Without the military Turkey is just like Egypt, or Lebanon, or even Pakistan.
Not that I oppose Obama visitng Turkey, I just prefer that the countires politcal culture be put in proper context.
Qatar has opened a church, albeit without a spire or a free standing cross but it is a start. I have not heard of it being bombed. I’m sure many Qataries are not happy but they aren’t upset enough to destroy the place either.
I think you are correct when you say:
Theworldisnotenough on March 7, 2009 at 3:27 PM
Unintended consequences.
BetseyRoss on March 7, 2009 at 3:38 PM
I don’t know why so many conservative Americans think Turkey is a advanced and “liberal” islamic country. It’s not. I’d say Qatar is more advanced and “liberal” then they are.
madne0 on March 7, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Have been to both. Turkey has several modern cities, a free press, generally, though publishing anything against the government is viewed as sedition, has a modern infrastructure for most of the littoral parts of the nation, and around Ankara, has vibrant schools and a really good university system, has a significance regarding Central Asia and Caucasus energy transmission, and all over Turkey you can find the same sort of stuff you’d find anywhere else in Europe. Toward the east, it gets pretty much back to almost biblical times once you get off the highways. It had, until recently, a fairly strong capitalist economy, which like the rest of Europe is going through some tough times for lack of, or dwindling, foreign investment. It also faces a resurgence of Islamism…the major threat to Turkey across the board.
Qatar is a small slowly emerging nation, owned in full by the Al-Thani family. It has a a lot of money, and a small population, and is a complete welfare state, all citizens bound to the government for everything they need. Yes, it is making significant strides toward modernity, not yet on par with Dubai by any stretch of the imagination…but its central law and its make-up are strongly Wahabi…which, it appears, is the fundamental philosophy of bin Ladin, as well as the Saudi royal family who also own their own country.
Turkey is a member of NATO, and is seeking, still, membership in the EU, and has strategic value.
Qatar is none of these.
coldwarrior on March 7, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Oh-Shite! is probably going to shill for Turkey in their EU bid, ensuring the flooding of Europe with even more Muslims, ones that may presently be under a forced “moderate” polity, but who will be rapidly radicalized by their new Muslim neighbors in banlieus throughout the Old World.
Never trust Obama, his intentions, nor his competence.
Maquis on March 7, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Why is he traveling outside the country at all? Doesn’t he have anything else to do?
rockmom on March 7, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Why is he flying all over the country? He really really loves Air Force One…and having people tend to his every need.
coldwarrior on March 7, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Exactly, he is a preening narcissist who needs the adulation of the crowds. No tea parties going on in Turkey.
rockmom on March 7, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Will the dear leader “O” apologize for the Armenian genocide?
/sarcasm off
pabo on March 7, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Now that would be a gaffe…
coldwarrior on March 7, 2009 at 4:15 PM
You make a good case, Ed. I’ll go along with your point of view here…unless I learn of information that refutes your analysis.
onlineanalyst on March 7, 2009 at 4:18 PM
…And now, having read the informed comments about current-day Turkey by several on this board whose opinions and experience I respect, I will willingly suspend my belief in what Obama can accomplish.
I simply do not trust that Obama’s political underpinnings and judgment nor the judgment of his advisors. Who knows what he is trying to achieve?
(Maybe he just wants to be a member of the mile-high club.)
onlineanalyst on March 7, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Turkey is not the friend to the US or West that it once was. It is rapidly Islamifying. The PM is a nutcase too.
Turkey had a good relationship with Isreael for decades.. that is changing too.
Interestingly, though I dont base the above opinion on it.. a lot of Bible scholars into Eschatology are coming around to the view that the ANtichrist will come from Turkey and not Europe. And that he leads a revival of the Islamic Empire (Khalifah) not a revived Roman Empire.
The Islamic Empire (Khalifah) was disbanded soon after WW-I and all the terrorists groups have its reestablishment as their ultimate goal. So to the future the restoration of the Khalifah will seem like the a dead mortally wounded empire come back to life… and what else is like it? and who is brave enough to make war against it?
VinceP1974 on March 7, 2009 at 6:49 PM
Let me guess. He’s going to present them them with director’s cut DVD versions of Charlotte’s Web and Babe.
chalons on March 7, 2009 at 6:52 PM
Midnight Express
VinceP1974 on March 7, 2009 at 6:54 PM
There are some good points being for and against this move, but we have to remember Obama is a Democratic President, so his big problems is different than a Republican.
Bush could play whatever game he wanted with the Turks because they had no great lobbying strength within the Republican party. They tried with Hastert, but it’s gone nowhere. The Turkish military and business connections held greater sway with Bush, but after the refusal of airspace, he let kept Erdogan at a political distance. Though Bush did support their move into the EU, he was also the first President to address the Armenian-Turkish grudge as “genocidal”. Though he promised to officially recognize 1915 as Genocide, 9/11 changed that.
Which leads us to Barry. The Armenian lobby is heavily in the Democratic corner. Pelosi and Lantos are/were major backers of the lobby. Samantha Powers is a huge advocate for genocidal recognition. So while Gephardt and Air America have tried to fold the Turkish lobby into the Democractic party as a way to neutralize the Armenian contingent, Pelosi and Powers have much more sway.
So expect Barry to be pushed to breach the conversation with Erdgoan in private discussions, or else Pelosi and Powers will lose massive credibility within their circles with Powers eventually resigning.
Personally, I hope he fumbles the whole issue. Obama and his co-horts have been nothing but impediments to the Middle East since Desert Storm. To waltz in now and and make some sweeping decisions will guarantee we end up trying unf*ck the region several years from now.
budfox on March 7, 2009 at 8:32 PM
I don’t think this is a good idea…he’s helping the radicals by his presence …
I believe this is calculated to do just that…
I knew of the discontent before I Googled it here and here…
jerrytbg on March 7, 2009 at 9:23 PM
You mean Obama wasn’t president when he visited Iraq last summer? Gosh, the media was sure fooled on that one, I guess.
cackcon on March 7, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Turkey isn’t a surprise. What they really wanted was Egypt. When Egypt told them to grab their bone and yank they had to come up with another country to try to use as an illusionary fulcrum to balance some kind of diplomatic effort out there in M.E. land.
Little does sock puppet know, he’s going to be harasses by the Turks to help squish the Kurds AND norther Iranian (Kurdish) resistances. HAH! He thought he’d picked a no-brainer too.
Spiritk9 on March 7, 2009 at 11:46 PM
Looks like you guys were too quick to give Obama credit…
Per Jake Tapper:
Clinton: President Obama Turkey-Bound
March 07, 2009 12:23 PM
In Ankara today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that President Obama will visit Turkey “in a month or so.”
I’m advised, however, that this Turkey visit will NOT be when President Obama makes his promised speech to the Muslim world, which during the campaign he pledged he’d make in a Muslim nation.
– jpt
jariel on March 8, 2009 at 12:46 AM
Quick. Change the locks on all the White House doors while he’s gone and put up a huge sign on the East Lawn:
GOP Members ONLY
TN Mom on March 8, 2009 at 12:57 AM
When will this guy ever stay in the WH and do his darn job?? He has been flying allover the country since he became Pres…and has done nothing for the economy.
Talk about carbon footprints.
becki51758 on March 8, 2009 at 7:52 AM
I have no idea why you included Lebanon in that post. You obviously have never been to the country.
TTheoLogan on March 8, 2009 at 8:05 AM
Bairy might want to stop in Crawford first. Y’know, maybe get some pointers from that so-called ‘village idiot’.
BHO Jonestown on March 8, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Maybe he’ll defect.
ObisSister on March 8, 2009 at 4:46 PM
The Turkey that recognised Israel was not a Muslim nation. Contemporary Turkey is a Muslim nation which is why their alliance with Israel is fracturing and they won’t be pro-Israel for very much longer.
Honestly Ed I don’t know you twist yourself into a pretzel with all the pro-Islam propaganda you post. Can you not just see what is in front of your nose?
aengus on March 8, 2009 at 9:50 PM
Probably the best choice he could make, given their NATO membership. On the other hand, this
is a dated POV. Things have changed, and for the worse, in Turkey in the last 10 years.
james23 on March 9, 2009 at 6:56 AM
The news of Obama’s trip to Turkey pleases me to No end.
The “folks” in my ancestral home got the Barky vapors much like the rest of Europe did.
However, with his promises last summer of being a new kind of Global Citizen (nee, Please Everybody) President while questions of Agia Sofia’s, Constantinople’s and Cyprus fate will likely remain unanswered with his coming trip, those folks are Already None To Pleased.
GOOD! Μαλάκες! Enjoy your Islamist government neighbor and their soon to be “understanding” guest.
Kolo Αμερική..έξω n βάσεις του θανάτου..blah..blah..blah.
Better than Bush.. McCain, huh? Ingrates.
Teddy on March 9, 2009 at 11:54 PM
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