Obama in Turkey Says U.S. Not at War with Islam

ANKARA, Turkey, April 6, 2009— -- In a speech that was carried live on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, President Obama told members of the Turkish Parliament that the United States "is not at war with Islam" and called for a stronger relationship between the United States and the Muslim world that goes beyond the fight against al Qaeda.

"I know there have been difficulties these last few years," Obama said, in what is just the latest nod to an apology for the Bush years that Obama has made in first presidential overseas trip.

"I know that the trust that binds us has been strained, and I know that strain is shared in many places where the Muslim faith is practiced. Let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not at war with Islam," the president said.

Turkey is the last stop on Obama's European swing and his first visit to a Muslim nation as president. He firmly expressed his commitment for the European Union to accept Turkey as a member, praised progress the majority-Muslim country has made on human and minority rights and suggested that Turkey has a unique role in helping to broker peace around the world.

Obama said the partnership between the United States and the Muslim world is critical in the fight against Islamic terrorism, what he called "a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject."

But he also said the partnership has to be about more than just fighting global terrorism.

"I also want to be clear that America's relationship with the Muslim world cannot and will not be based on opposition to al Qaeda. Far from it," he said.

On this final leg of his first overseas trip, Obama sought to repair relations with the Muslim world that were damaged after the attacks of Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq. The president said his administration seeks "broad engagement based upon mutual interests and mutual respect."

"We will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding and seek common ground. We will be respectful, even when we do not agree," he said. "And we will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better -- including my own country."