Obama may speak in Turkish parliament

PanARMENIAN.Net - Obama is scheduled to visit Turkey on April 5 during his first visit as president to a Muslim nation. Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan told reporters that lawmakers want Obama to give a speech to legislators and to the Turkish people from the rostrum of Parliament.



The invasion of Iraq has strained the long friendship between the U.S. and Turkey — close NATO allies — and Obama's visit would mark an improvement in ties with Turkey, which is critical to aiding the U.S. pullout from Iraq and turning around the war in Afghanistan.



However, Obama could jeopardize relations unless he breaks a campaign promise to describe the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as "genocide."



Such a declaration would infuriate Turkey, which could respond by withholding cooperation and complicate U.S. military operations in the region.