Obama vows U.S. is not at war with Islam

By Ivan Watson
CNN
ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) - Lawmakers in Turkey's Grand National Assembly applauded Monday, when President Barack Obama declared "The United States is not and will never be at war with Islam."

On his first presidential visit to a Muslim country, Obama high-lighted the fact he too had Muslims in his family and had lived in a Muslim-majority country. He was rewarded by another round of enthusiastic applause.

Throughout his half-hour long address, the American president laid out the framework for what he hoped would be a "model partnership" between the United States and Turkey.

He also called on Turkey, NATO's only Muslim member country, to work side-by-side with the United States to resolve conflicts across the turbulent Middle East.

"Some people have asked me if I chose to continue my travels to Ankara and Istanbul to send a message," Obama said. "My answer is simple, evet."

"Evet" means yes in Turkish.

Obama re-iterated American support for Turkey's bid to join the European Union, a position that was recently criticized by French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

But Obama also urged the Turkish government, not to give up on an EU reform process that many analysts say has been stalled in recent years. He urged Turks to strengthen freedoms of speech and religion and called for "robust minority rights," particularly for the estimated 12 million Kurds who make up Turkey's largest ethnic minority.