"History is often tragic. But if unresolved, it can be a heavy weight. Each country must work through its past," Obama said in an address to the Turkish Parliament, noting that although there are strong views on the issue, Turkey should face its past. He said, however, it was not up to him to resolve the dispute.
Turkey rejects claims of a genocide of 1.5 million Armenians during World War I. The dispute has been one of the key obstacles for the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia, which have had no formal ties since 1993. Turkish and Armenian officials are now holding closed-door talks on restoring relations and Obama believes this process could be harmed if the United States intervenes. He is thus expected not to use the word "genocide" in a traditional statement on April 24, the date Armenians mark as the beginning of the genocide campaign.
In his address, watched closely by the Muslim world, Obama also gave conciliatory messages to Muslims and emphasized the US has never been and will never be at war with the Muslim world. In a further message of conciliation, Obama also said he did not want the US relationship with the Muslim world to be defined by the fight against al-Qaeda, praising the Muslim world's contributions to world history through the centuries and saying the United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans.
"The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their family, or have lived in a Muslim-majority country - I know, because I am one of them," he went on.
The US president also signaled he would seek peaceful ways to deal with extremism."There is an old Turkish proverb: 'You cannot put out fire with flames.' America knows this. Turkey knows this. There are some who must be met with force. But force alone cannot solve our problems, and it is no alternative to extremism. The future must belong to those who create, not those who destroy. That is the future we must work for, and we must work for it together," said Obama.
He promised to "actively pursue" a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. "Let me be clear: The United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security," Obama said. "Now, we must not give into pessimism and mistrust. We must pursue every opportunity for progress," he said, in his first detailed comments on the Middle East peace issue since Israel formed a new government.
The US president, on a landmark visit to Turkey, outlined Iraq, Iran's nuclear program, peace in the Middle East, Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism as areas where the two countries have the potential to work together. He said Iran must choose whether to build weapon or create a better future for their people and added that peace in the Middle East would be advanced if Iran forgoes its nuclear weapons ambitions. He made it clear that the Middle East, having suffered enough from wars and violence, does not need more destructive weapons.
Praise for Turkey
Obama also praised Turkey's parliamentary democracy as the true legacy of the country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atat
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