US President Barack Obama arrived in Turkey Sunday on the last stop of his maiden tour to Europe for a two-day visit aimed at revitalising ties with Washingtons long-standing, mainly Muslim ally. Air Force One touched down at Ankaras Esenboga airport around 9:10 pm (1810 GMT), in what was Obamas first trip to a majority Muslim nation since becoming president in January.
Obama will hold talks with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday before addressing the Turkish parliament. He will then fly to Istanbul where he will visit two historical sites and meet university students Tuesday before leaving Turkey later in the day.
Obama flew in to Ankara after attending a European Union summit in Prague where he endorsed Turkeys accession into the bloc, despite opposition from French President Nicolas Sarkozy and guarded remarks from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Before the EU summit, he also participated in a Nato gathering jointly hosted by France and Germany, where he was instrumental in winning Turkeys backing to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the alliances next leader.