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OBAMA EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS FORUM
Today's Zaman
March 24 2009
Turkey
US President Barack Obama, who is due to arrive in the Turkish
capital on the evening of April 5, is expected to participate in the
UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) forum scheduled for April 6 and
7 in Istanbul.
US officials in Ankara were not immediately available to confirm or
deny Obama's participation at the second day of the UNAOC forum on
April 7, since they were not able to make any confirmation on items
on the agenda of Obama's trip to Turkey. However, they noted that
the US president has expressed a desire to attend the event.
Obama's visit to Turkey will include time in both Ankara and
Istanbul. Obama is to meet with President Abdullah Gul and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 6, and Obama and Erdogan are
expected to fly to Istanbul together to attend the meeting of the
UNAOC initiative on April 7.
The second forum of the UNAOC will see the participation of Erdogan,
in addition to Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio,
who is the high representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. The
forum will be attended by heads of government and more than 50
ministers.
The Istanbul forum follows the success of the inaugural gathering,
which was held in Madrid in January 2008. Officials said the Istanbul
forum will be action oriented, with an emphasis on delivering concrete
projects and practical outcomes. A number of high-profile initiatives
will be presented, including Euro-Mediterranean projects aimed at
restoring trust and rebuilding bridges in the region in the wake of
the Gaza crisis.
There is also a project called the Alliance Fellowship Program that
aims to facilitate the exchange of young leaders between a number of
countries and establish working relationships between them.
The Global Model United Nations (GMUN) 2010, a world-class student
diplomacy training program on the theme of the UNAOC, will take place
in addition to a presentation of "Doing Business in a Multicultural
World -- Challenges and Opportunities," a joint report of the UNAOC
and the UN Global Compact showcasing a range of best practices and
case studies for companies to use in responding to the diversity of
today's business environments.
The forum will also see the launch of "Mapping Media Education
Policies Around the World," a joint publication by the UNAOC and
UNESCO on media education policies.
Obama expected to address Islamic world from Turkey
Obama's visit is seen as a sign of the Obama administration's
willingness to work with Turkey on a number of key foreign policy
issues, including the stabilization of Afghanistan and Iraq, and
Iran's controversial nuclear program.
The Turkish government is likely to raise the issues of Armenian
allegations of genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War
I and cooperation in the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK).
Obama is also expected to address the Islamic world with a speech
from Turkey.
The Financial Times, a daily in the United Kingdom, reported on Monday,
"After that is the NATO summit in Strasbourg, where Mr. Obama will try
and probably fail to get big European assistance for his 17,000 troop
surge in Afghanistan, a stop in Prague for a meeting with European
leaders and then a big speech to the Islamic world from Turkey --
Mr. Obama's first, much-awaited visit to a Muslim country."
Today's Zaman
March 24 2009
Turkey
US President Barack Obama, who is due to arrive in the Turkish
capital on the evening of April 5, is expected to participate in the
UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) forum scheduled for April 6 and
7 in Istanbul.
US officials in Ankara were not immediately available to confirm or
deny Obama's participation at the second day of the UNAOC forum on
April 7, since they were not able to make any confirmation on items
on the agenda of Obama's trip to Turkey. However, they noted that
the US president has expressed a desire to attend the event.
Obama's visit to Turkey will include time in both Ankara and
Istanbul. Obama is to meet with President Abdullah Gul and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 6, and Obama and Erdogan are
expected to fly to Istanbul together to attend the meeting of the
UNAOC initiative on April 7.
The second forum of the UNAOC will see the participation of Erdogan,
in addition to Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio,
who is the high representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. The
forum will be attended by heads of government and more than 50
ministers.
The Istanbul forum follows the success of the inaugural gathering,
which was held in Madrid in January 2008. Officials said the Istanbul
forum will be action oriented, with an emphasis on delivering concrete
projects and practical outcomes. A number of high-profile initiatives
will be presented, including Euro-Mediterranean projects aimed at
restoring trust and rebuilding bridges in the region in the wake of
the Gaza crisis.
There is also a project called the Alliance Fellowship Program that
aims to facilitate the exchange of young leaders between a number of
countries and establish working relationships between them.
The Global Model United Nations (GMUN) 2010, a world-class student
diplomacy training program on the theme of the UNAOC, will take place
in addition to a presentation of "Doing Business in a Multicultural
World -- Challenges and Opportunities," a joint report of the UNAOC
and the UN Global Compact showcasing a range of best practices and
case studies for companies to use in responding to the diversity of
today's business environments.
The forum will also see the launch of "Mapping Media Education
Policies Around the World," a joint publication by the UNAOC and
UNESCO on media education policies.
Obama expected to address Islamic world from Turkey
Obama's visit is seen as a sign of the Obama administration's
willingness to work with Turkey on a number of key foreign policy
issues, including the stabilization of Afghanistan and Iraq, and
Iran's controversial nuclear program.
The Turkish government is likely to raise the issues of Armenian
allegations of genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War
I and cooperation in the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK).
Obama is also expected to address the Islamic world with a speech
from Turkey.
The Financial Times, a daily in the United Kingdom, reported on Monday,
"After that is the NATO summit in Strasbourg, where Mr. Obama will try
and probably fail to get big European assistance for his 17,000 troop
surge in Afghanistan, a stop in Prague for a meeting with European
leaders and then a big speech to the Islamic world from Turkey --
Mr. Obama's first, much-awaited visit to a Muslim country."