U.S. President Defines Turkey An Important Ally, Part Of Europe

ANKARA - The U.S. president defined on Monday Turkey as an important ally and part of Europe.
U.S. President Barack Obama said that Turkey was an important ally of the United States, and an important part of Europe.

Obama is making his first visit as U.S. president to Turkey.

He aimed at maintaining the friendship and alliance between the two countries, Obama told Turkish lawmakers in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Obama said that Turkey and the United States should work together and resolve the problems of the time.

The president told the Turkish lawmakers that he was impressed by Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk, in the morning because Ataturk was a leader who changed history.

The biggest heritage of Ataturk, the Founder of the Republic of Turkey, was the vivid and secular democracy of Turkey and the Turkish parliament was maintaining that, Obama said.

Obama said that Turkey had not come to those days easily, and Turkey could have surrendered to foreign forces at the end of World War I or preferred to maintain the empire.

However, Turkey adopted a different future and founded a Republic, which gained the respect of the United States and other world countries, he said.

Obama said that Turkey's democracy was Turkey's own success, and democracy was not imposed to Turkey.

The U.S. president said that Turkey gained power from its previous achievements, got stronger with each generation, and moved forward.