Obama’s model partnership

Obama’s praise of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in his speech at the Turkish Parliament on Tuesday was interesting. He underlined that Atatürk’s greatest legacy was a democratic, laic and strong Turkey. This was key evidence that the "moderate Islam" discourse had dropped dead.

From a transitive discourse of "moderate Islam" to a "democratic, secular Turkey" approach, Obama’s remarks at the news conference he held with Turkish President Abdullah Gül at the Çankaya presidential palace were also critical. Obama talked about a new "partnership model" based on not religion or religious and ethnic identities but on common ideals and citizenship ties.

As Obama revealed this new partnership model, he said: "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation; we consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values. É I think Turkey was Ğ modern Turkey was founded with a similar set of principles," after adding that Turkey is a Western country with a Muslim majority.

Obama also explained why he wanted to have an overseas trip to Turkey. As he described Turkey a bridge connecting the East to the West, Obama said this is because of not the bridges over the Bosphorus but because of history, culture, civilization and trade. The American president underlined that Turkey remains in the midst of regional developments and that its being a big country stems from such a position. He added that this is the reason he chose to make his first official overseas trip to Turkey.

The PKK and al-Qaeda

In the Turkish Parliament, Obama once again recognized the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and al-Qaeda as terror organizations. His remarks received applause in the General Council except from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, parliamentary group.

He emphasized the continuation of counter-terrorism cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey.

Obama drew attention to the fact that Turkey has recently taken critical steps toward democracy as he pointed out that Kurdish broadcasts in the state-owned Turkish Television and Radio Corporation, or TRT, are met with respect by the world.

Obama in his speech totally excluded terror and fully supported democratic initiatives, adding that not fears but freedoms and democracy will take nations to the future.

Armenia and the genocide issue

Obama chose his words very carefully while talking about Armenia and the so-called genocide. He said his views on the record and that he has not changed them. But he is hopeful for Turkey-Armenia talks that have started under Gül’s leadership. The U.S. president gave the impression that he would wait for the result of the process.

As President Gül answered related questions posed by American reporters, he effectively shared Turkey’s approach to leave this issue to historians and to form a joint commission. Obama in his speech at the Turkish Parliament conveyed the message that the countries should confront their past. Otherwise, history would be a burden.

He stressed the contributions from minorities to the richness of a country. In this sense, Obama recalled his request to reopen the Halki (Heybeliada) Seminary. "I say this as the president of a country that not very long ago made it hard for somebody who looks like me to vote, much less be president of the United States," said Obama, giving the message that confronting the past and freedom, equality and democracy are the best solution.

In Parliament, the texture of the U.S. lobby that was present among guests of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara was interesting.

Leading names representing almost all views were invited by the embassy. Newspaper owners, editors-in-chief, Ankara representatives and columnists of different views were among the guests of the U.S. Embassy. Pro-secular faculty members, Kurdish academics and writers were there, too. The U.S. Embassy tried to include all colors in the spectrum and carefully brought almost all into the same picture.


Fikret Bila is the Ankara representative of daily Milliyet, in which this piece appeared yesterday. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff