Obama 'to Ankara

Obama 'to address Muslims in Ankara'

US President Barack Obama has selected Ankara to address Muslim world within the first hundred days of his presidency, says an official

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during her visit to Ankara that President Obama plans to visit Turkey in about a month.

A senior Obama administration official on Saturday confirmed that Turkey will be the president's first visit to a Muslim nation since taking office.

"It will also provide an opportunity to continue the president's dialogue with the Muslim world, a dialogue he started immediately and intends to maintain throughout his presidency," the official was quoted as saying by CNN.

During his presidential campaign, the young president had promised to deliver a speech in a Muslim capital.

In his inauguration day address, Obama stood by his promise, saying, "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

Obama is already due to be in Europe in the first days of April for G20 and NATO summits.

AGB/MD