PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Thank you so much. Well, it is a great
pleasure to be here. Let me begin by thanking
Professor Rahmi Aksungur -- did I say that properly -- who is
director of the university here. And I want to thank all the
young people who've gathered together. This is a great privilege for me
and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to make a few remarks
at the beginning and then I want to spend most of the time having
an exchange and giving you an opportunity to ask -- ask
questions of me and I may ask some questions of you. So as I said yesterday, I came
to Turkey on my first trip overseas as President for a
reason, and it's not just to see the beautiful sights
here in Istanbul. I came here to reaffirm the
importance of Turkey and the importance of the partnership
between our two countries. I came here out of my respect to
Turkey's democracy and culture and my belief that Turkey plays
a critically important role in the region and in the world. And I came to Turkey because I'm
deeply committed to rebuilding a relationship between the United
States and the people of the Muslim world -- one that's
grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect. Turkey and the United States
have a long history of partnership and cooperation. Exchanges between our two
peoples go back over 150 years. We've been NATO allies for
more than five decades. We have deep ties in trade
and education, in science and research. And America is proud to have
many men and women of Turkish origin who have made our country
a more dynamic and a more successful place. So Turkish-American relations
rest on a strong foundation. That said, I know there have
been some difficulties in recent years. In some ways, that foundation
has been weakening. We've had some specific
differences over policy, but we've also at times lost the
sense that both of our countries are in this together -- that we
have shared interests and shared values and that we can have a
partnership that serves our common hopes and common dreams. So I came here to renew that
foundation and to build on it. I enjoyed visiting
your parliament. I've had productive discussions
with your President and your Prime Minister. But I also always like to take
some time to talk to people directly, especially
young people. So in the next few minutes I
want to focus on three areas in which I think we can make some
progress: advancing dialogue between our two countries, but
also advancing dialogue between the United States and the Muslim
world; extending opportunity in education and in social welfare;
and then also reaching out to young people as our best hope
for peaceful, prosperous futures in both Turkey and
in the United States. Now, let me just talk briefly
about those three points. First, I believe we can have a
dialogue that's open, honest, vibrant, and
grounded in respect. And I want you to know that I'm
personally committed to a new chapter of American engagement. We can't afford to talk past one
another, to focus only on our differences, or to let the walls
of mistrust go up around us. Instead we have to listen
carefully to each other. We have to focus on places where
we can find common ground and respect each other's views,
even when we disagree. And if we do so I believe we can
bridge some of our differences and divisions that
we've had in the past. A part of that process involves
giving you a better sense of America. I know that the stereotypes of
the United States are out there, and I know that many of them are
informed not by direct exchange or dialogue, but by television
shows and movies and misinformation. Sometimes it suggests that
America has become selfish and crass, or that we don't care
about the world beyond us. And I'm here to tell you that
that's not the country that I know and it's not the
country that I love. America, like every other
nation, has made mistakes and has its flaws. But for more than two centuries
we have strived at great cost and sacrifice to form a more
perfect union, to seek with other nations a
more hopeful world. We remain committed to a greater
good, and we have citizens in countless countries who are
serving in wonderful capacities as doctors and as agricultural
specialists, people -- teachers -- people who are committed to
making the world a better place. We're also a country of
different backgrounds and races and religions that have come
together around a set of shared ideals. And we are still a place where
anybody has a chance to make it if they try. If that wasn't true, then
somebody named Barack Hussein Obama would not be elected
President of the United States of America. That's the America
I want you to know. Second, I believe that we can
forge a partnership with Turkey and across the Muslim world on
behalf of greater opportunity. This trip began for me in London
at the G20, and one of the issues we discussed there
was how to help peoples and countries who, through no fault
of their own, are being very hard hit by the current
world economic crisis. We took some important steps
to extend a hand to emerging markets and developing countries
by setting aside over a trillion dollars to the International
Monetary Fund and by making historic investments
in food security. But there's also a larger issue
of how Turkey and America can help those who have been left
behind in this new global economy. All of our countries
have poverty within it. All of it -- all of our
countries have young people who aren't obtaining the
opportunities that they need to get the education
that they need. And that's not just true here in
Turkey or in the United States, but that's true
around the world. And so we should be working
together to figure out how we can help people live
out their dreams. Here there's great potential for
the United States to work with Muslims around the world on
behalf of a more prosperous future. And I want to pursue a new
partnership on behalf of basic priorities: What can we do to
help more children get a good education? What can we do to expand health
care to regions that are on the margins of global society? What steps can we take in terms
of trade and investment to create new jobs and industries
and ultimately advance prosperity for all of us? To me, these are the true tests
of whether we are leaving a world that is better and more
hopeful than the one we found. Finally, I want to say how much
I'm counting on young people to help shape a more peaceful
and prosperous future. Already, this generation, your
generation, has come of age in a world that's been marked by
change that's both dramatic and difficult. While you are empowered through
unprecedented access to information and invention,
you're also confronted with big challenges -- a global economy
in transition, climate change, extremism, old conflicts
but new weapons. These are all issues that you
have to deal with as young people both in Turkey
and around the world. In America, I'm proud to see
a new spirit of activism and responsibility take root. I've seen it in the young
Americans who are choosing to teach in our schools
or volunteer abroad. I saw it in my own presidential
campaign where young people provided the energy and the
idealism that made effort possible. And I've seen it wherever I
travel abroad and speak to groups like this. Everywhere I go I find young
people who are passionate, engaged, and deeply informed
about the world around them. So as President, I'd like to
find new ways to connect young Americans to young people all
around the world, by supporting opportunities to learn new
languages, and serve and study, welcoming students from other
countries to our shores. That's always been a critical
part of how America engages the world. That's how my father, who was
from Kenya, from Africa, came to the United States and
eventually met my mother. It's how Robert College was
founded so long ago here in Istanbul. Simple exchanges can break down
walls between us, for when people come together and speak
to one another and share a common experience, then their
common humanity is revealed. We are reminded that we're
joined together by our pursuit of a life that's productive
and purposeful, and when that happens mistrust begins to fade
and our smaller differences no longer overshadow the
things that we share. And that's where
progress begins. So to all of you, I want you to
know that the world will be what you make of it. You can choose to build new
bridges instead of building new walls. You can choose to put aside
longstanding divisions in pursuit of lasting peace. You can choose to advance a
prosperity that is shared by all people and not just
the wealthy few. And I want you to know that in
these endeavors, you will find a partner and a supporter and a
friend in the United States of America. So I very much appreciate all
of you joining me here today. And now what I'd like to
do is take some questions. I think we've got -- do we
have some microphones in the audience? So what I'd like to do is people
can just raise their hands and I'll choose each person -- if
you could stand up and introduce yourself. I have a little microphone in
my pocket here in case you're speaking Turkish, because my
Turkish is not so good -- (laughter) -- and I'll
have a translator for me. Okay? All right. And I want to make sure that we
end before the call to prayer, so we have about -- it looks
like we have about half an hour. All right? Okay, we'll start right here. Q: I'm from the university. I want to ask some questions
about climate issue. Yesterday you said that peace in
home and peace in world, but to my opinion, firstly the
peace should be in nature. For this reason, I wonder that
when the USA will sign the Kyoto Protocol. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well,
it's an excellent question. Is this mic working? It is? Okay. Thank you very much. What was your name? Q: (Inaudible.) PRESIDENT OBAMA:
As many of you know, I think the science tells us that the planet
is getting warmer because of carbon gases that are being
sent into the atmosphere. And if we do not take steps soon
to deal with it, then you could see an increase of three, four,
five degrees, which would have a devastating effect -- the oceans
would rise; we don't know what would happen to the beauty of
Istanbul if suddenly the seas rise. Changing weather patterns would
create extraordinary drought in some regions, floods in others. It could have a devastating
effect on human civilization. So we've got to take
steps to deal with this. When the Kyoto Protocol was put
forward, the United States opted out of it, as did China and some
other countries -- and I think that was a mistake, particularly
because the United States and -- is the biggest carbon --
has been the biggest carbon producer. China is now becoming the
biggest carbon producer because its population is so large. And so we need to bring an
international agreement together very soon. It doesn't make sense for the
United States to sign Kyoto because Kyoto is about to end. So instead what my
administration is doing is preparing for the next round,
which is -- there will be discussions in Copenhagen
at the end of this year. And what we want to do is to
prepare an agenda both in the United States and work
internationally so that we can start making progress
on these issues. Now, there are a
number of elements. Number one, we have to
be more energy efficient. And so all countries around
the world should be sharing technology and information about
how we can reduce the usage of electricity, and how we can
make our transportation more efficient, make our cars
get better gas mileage. Reducing the amount of energy
we use is absolutely critical. We should also think about are
there ways that if we're using fossil fuels -- oil, coal, other
fossil fuels -- are there ways of capturing or reducing the
carbon emissions that come from them? So this is going to be a big,
big project and a very difficult one and a very costly one. And I don't want to -- I don't
want to lie to you: I think the politics of this in every
country is going to be difficult, because if you
suddenly say to people, you have to change your factory to make
it more energy efficient -- well, that costs the
factory owner money. If you say to a power plant,
you have to produce energy in a different way, and that costs
them money, then they want to pass that cost on to consumers,
which means everybody's electricity prices go up -- and
that is something that is not very popular. So there are going to be big
political struggles in every country to try to ratify an
agreement on these issues. And that's why it's going to be
so important that young people like yourself who will be
suffering the consequences if we don't do something, that you are
active politically in making sure that politicians in every
country are responsive to these issues and that we educate the
public more than we have so far. But it is excellent
question, thank you. All right, this
gentleman right here. Q Thank you. I'm studying at Bahcesehir
University, and my major is energy engineering, so --
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Oh, there you go. You could have given
an even better answer. Q Yes, I hope we will solve
that problem in the future. So my question is, what actions
will you take after you wrote quote, peace at home, peace at
the world, to do -- PRESIDENT OBAMA: I'm sorry, could you repeat the question? Q What actions will you take
after you wrote your quote, peace at home and peace at the
world, to -- (inaudible) -- and what do you think, as Turkish
young men and women, how can we help you at this
purpose you have? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, some
people say that maybe I'm being too idealistic. I made a speech in Prague
about reducing and ultimately eliminating nuclear weapons, and
some people said, ah, that will never happen. And some people have said, why
are you discussing the Middle East when it's not going to be
possible for the Israelis and the Palestinians
to come together? Or, why are you reaching out to
the Iranians, because the U.S. and Iran can never
agree on anything? My attitude is, is that
all these things are hard. I mean, I'm not naïve. If it was easy, it would
have already been done. Somebody else
would have done it. But if we don't try, if we don't
reach high, then we won't make any progress. And I think that there's a lot
of progress that can be made. And as I said in my opening
remarks, I think the most important thing to
start with is dialogue. When you have a chance to meet
people from other cultures and other countries, and you listen
to them and you find out that, even though you may speak a
different language or you may have a different religious
faith, it turns out that you care about your family, you have
your same hopes about being able to have a career that is useful
to the society, you hope that you can raise a family of your
own, and that your children will be healthy and have a good
education -- that all those things that human beings all
around the world share are more important than the things
that are different. And so that is a very
important place to start. And that's where young people
can be very helpful, because I think old people, we get into
habits and we become suspicious and we carry grudges. Right? You know, it was interesting
when I met with President Medvedev of Russia and we
actually had a very good dialogue, and we were -- we
spoke about the fact that although both of us were born
during the Cold War, we came of age after the Cold War had
already begun to decline, which means we have a slightly
different attitude than somebody who was seeing Russia only as
the Soviet Union -- only as an enemy or who saw America
only as an enemy. So young people, they can get
rid of some of the old baggage and the old suspicions, and I
think that's very important. But understanding
alone is not enough. Then you -- we actually
have to do the work. And for the United States, I
think that means that we have to make sure that our actions are
responsible, so on international issues like climate change
we have to take leadership. If we're producing a lot of
pollution that's causing global warming, then we have to step
forward and say, here's what we're willing to do, and then
ask countries like China to join us. If we want to say to Iran, don't
develop nuclear weapons because if you develop them then
everybody in the region is going to want them and you'll have a
nuclear arms race in the Middle East and that will be dangerous
for everybody -- if we want to say that to Iranians, it helps
if we are also saying, "and we will reduce our own," so that
we have more moral authority in those claims. If we want to communicate to
countries that we sincerely care about the well-being of their
people, then we have to make sure that our aid programs and
our assistance programs are meaningful. So words are good and
understanding is good, but ultimately it has to translate
into concrete actions. And it takes time. I was just talking to my press
team and they were amused because some of my reporter
friends from the States were asking, how come you didn't
solve everything on this trip? They said, well, you know,
it's only been a week. These things take time and
the idea is that you lay the groundwork and slowly, over
time, if you make small efforts, they can add up
into big efforts. And that's, I think, the
approach that we want to take in promoting more peace and
prosperity around the world. Okay, let me make sure I get
all sides of the room here. This young lady right here. Q: In one of your interviews you
said you want us to be a member of the European Union. But after that, Nicolas Sarkozy
said, it's not yours, it's European Union decision. Now I want to ask you that
what's your opinion, and why Nicolas Sarkozy said that? Is that because he's more
likely to support the so-called Armenian genocide? PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, the
-- I don't think -- well, first of all, it's true, I'm not a
member of -- the United States is not a member of the European
Union, so it's not our decision to make. But that doesn't prevent
me from having an opinion. I mean, I notice the Europeans
have had a lot of opinions about U.S. policy for a long time, right? They haven't been shy about
giving us suggestions about what we should be doing, so I don't
think there's anything wrong with us reciprocating. That's what friends do -- we try
to be honest about what we think is the right approach. I think it is the right approach
to have Turkey join the European Union. I think if Turkey can be a
member of NATO and send its troops to help protect and
support its allies, and its young men are put in harm's
way, well, I don't know why you should also not be able to sell
apricots to Europe, or have more freedom in terms of travel. So I think it's the
right thing to do. I also think it would send a
strong signal that Europe is not monolithic but is diverse
and that that is a source of strength instead of weakness. So that's my opinion. Now, President Sarkozy is a
good friend and a good ally. As I said, friends are going
to sometimes disagree on this. I haven't had a lengthy
conversation with him about his position on this issue. My hope is, is that as time goes
on and as trust builds, that this is ultimately
something that occurs. I don't get a sense that his
opposition is related to the Armenian issue. I don't think that's it. I think it's a more fundamental
issue of whether he's confident about Turkey's ability
to integrate fully. But you'll probably have
to ask him directly. So maybe when he comes here
he'll have a town hall meeting like this one. Okay, the gentleman right there. Yes, go ahead. Here's a microphone. Q: First, I will ask about the
Bush and you differences at the core, because some say just the
face has changed and that -- but core is the same still. They will have a fight with the
Middle East and they will have a fight with Iran. And my second question
is more in part to this. You will let the Kurdish
state in northern Iraq? You will let --
you'll allow this? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Okay,
the -- Q: Thank you. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yes. Well, let me answer -- I'll
answer the Kurdish question first. You know, we are very clear
about our position on Turkish territorial integrity. Turkey is an ally of ours and
part of what NATO allies do is to protect the territorial
integrity of their allies. And so we are -- we would be
opposed to anything that would start cutting off parts of
Turkey, and we have been very supportive in efforts to reduce
terrorist activity by the PKK. Now, I also think that it's
important that the Kurdish minority inside of Turkey is
free to advance in the society and that they have equal
opportunity, that they have free political expression, that they
are not suppressed in terms of opportunity. And I think that the President
and Prime Minister are committed to that, but I want to
continually encourage allowing -- whether it's religious
minorities or ethnic minorities -- to be full parts
of the society. And that, I think, is
very, very important. The first question, if I
understood you correctly, is the suggestion that even though I
present a different face from Bush, that the policies are the
same and so there's really not much difference. And, you know, I think this will
be tested in time because as I said before, moving the ship
of state is a slow process. States are like big tankers,
they're not like speedboats. You can't just whip them around
and go in a new direction. Instead you've got to slowly
move it and then eventually you end up in a very
different place. So let me just give
you a few examples. When it comes to Iraq, I
opposed the war in Iraq. I thought it was a bad idea. Now that we're there, I have a
responsibility to make sure that as we bring troops out, that we
do so in a careful enough way that we don't see a complete
collapse into violence. So some people might say, wait,
I thought you were opposed to the war, why don't you just
get them all out right away? Well, just because I was opposed
at the outset it doesn't mean that I don't have now
responsibilities to make sure that we do things in a
responsible fashion. When it comes to climate change,
George Bush didn't believe in climate change. I do believe in climate change,
I think it's important. That doesn't mean that suddenly
the day I'm elected I can say, okay, we're going to turn off
all the lights and everybody is going to stop driving. Right? All I can do is to start moving
policies that over time are going to obtain
different results. And then it is true, though,
that there are some areas where I agree with many of my friends
in the United States who are on the opposite political party. For example, I agree that al
Qaeda is an enormous threat not just to the United
States but to the world. I have no sympathy and I have no
patience for people who would go around blowing up innocent
people for a political cause. I don't believe in that. So, yes, I think that it is just
and right for the United States and NATO allies and other allies
from around the world to do what we can to eliminate
the threat of al Qaeda. Now, I think it's important
that we don't just do that militarily. I think it's important
that we provide educational opportunities for young people
in Pakistan and Afghanistan so that they see a different path. And so my policies will be
somewhat different, but I don't make any apologies for
continuing the effort to prevent bombs going off or planes going
into buildings that would kill innocents. I don't think any
society can justify that. And so, as I said, four years
from now or eight years from now, you can look back and you
can see maybe what he did wasn't that different, and hopefully
you'll come to the conclusion that what I did made progress. Yes, this young lady right here. Q: First of all, welcome
to our country, Turkey. I would like to continue in
Turkish if it's possible. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yes, let
me -- wait, wait, wait. See, I've got my -- Q
Thank you very much. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hold on. Q (As translated.) My first
question is that in the event that Turkey becomes an EU
member, what -- how will that -- how is that -- PRESIDENT OBAMA: Okay, try again. (Translator testing microphone.) Q: In the event that Turkey
becomes a member of the EU, how will that affect U.S. foreign policy and the
alliance of civilizations? And my second question is
a little more personal. We watched your election
with my American friends. Before you were elected, my
friends who said that they were ashamed of being Americans,
after you were elected said that they were proud to be Americans. This is a very sudden
and big change. What do you think the
reason is for this change? PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, the
United States friendship with Turkey doesn't depend
on their EU membership. So even if Turkey continued not
to be a member of the EU, the United States in our bilateral
relations and in our relations as a NATO ally can really
strengthen progress. And I had long discussions with
the President and the Prime Minister about a range of areas
where we can improve relations, including business and
commerce and trade. We probably can increase trade
between our two countries significantly, but we haven't
really focused on it. Traditionally the focus in
Turkish-American relations has been around the military and I
think for us to broaden that relationship and those exchanges
could be very important. You know, in terms of my
election, I think that what people felt good about was it
affirmed the sense that America is still a land of opportunity. I was not born into wealth. I wasn't born into fame. I come from a racial minority. My name is very unusual
for the United States. And so I think people saw my
election as proof, as testimony, that although we are imperfect,
our society has continued to improve; that racial
discrimination has been reduced; that educational opportunity for
all people is something that is still available. And I also think that people
were encouraged that somebody like me who has a background of
living overseas, who has Muslims in his family -- you know, that
I might be able to help to build bridges with other
parts of the world. You know, the American people
are a very hopeful people. We're an optimistic
people by nature. We believe that anything is
possible if we put our minds to it. And that is one of the qualities
of America that I think the world appreciates. You know, sometimes people may
think that we are -- we aren't realistic enough about how the
world works and we think that we can just remake the world
without regard to history, because we're still a
relatively new nation. Compared to Turkey and how old
this civilization is, America is still very new. And so it's true that I think we
believe that things can happen very fast and that
transformations in politics or in economics or in science and
technology can make our lives better overnight. So sometimes we
need more patience. But I also think the world needs
to have a sense that change is possible. That's a good thing and that we
don't have to always be stuck with old arguments. I mean, one thing that is
interesting about Europe as I travel around is, you know, you
hear disputes between countries that date back to a hundred
years, a thousand years -- people are still made about
things that happened a very long time ago. And so one thing America may
have to offer is an insistence on looking forward and not
always looking backwards. Okay, I only have time
for one more question. I'll give it to this
gentleman right here. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait --
I've got to get my earplug. Q: I thank you for the
opportunity to ask you a question. Right now I am in the Turkish
language and literature faculty of this university. How do you assess the Prime
Minister's attitude in Davos? Had you been in the same
situation, would you have reacted the same way? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first of
all, I think very highly of your Prime Minister. I've had a chance now to talk
with him first in London. I had spoken to him on the phone
previously, but we had the opportunity to meet in London
during the G20, and then we've been obviously having a number
of visits while I've been here in Turkey. And so I think that he is a good
man who is very interested in promoting peace in the region
and takes great pride I believe in trying to help work through
the issues between Israel and its neighbors. And Turkey has a long history of
being an ally and a friend of both Israel and its neighbors. And so it can occupy a unique
position in trying to resolve some of these differences. I wasn't at Davos so I don't
want to offer an opinion about how he responded and what
prompted his reaction. I will say this -- that I
believe that peace in the Middle East is possible. I think it will be based on
two states, side by side: a Palestinian state
and a Jewish state. I think in order to achieve
that, both sides are going to have to make compromises. I think we have a sense of what
those compromises should be and will be. Now what we need is political
will and courage on the part of leadership. And it is not the United States'
role or Turkey's role to tell people what they have to do,
but we can be good friends in encouraging them to move
the dialogue forward. I have to believe that the
mothers of Palestinians and the mothers of Israelis hope the
same thing for their children. They want them not to be
vulnerable to violence. They don't want, when their
child gets on a bus, to worry that that bus might explode. They don't want their child
to have to suffer indignities because of who they are. And so sometimes I think that
if you just put the mothers in charge for a while, that
things would get resolved. And it's that spirit of thinking
about the future and not the past that I just talked about
earlier that I think could help advance the peace process,
because if you look at the situation there, over time I
don't believe it's sustainable. It's not sustainable for
Israel's security because as populations grow around them,
if there is more and more antagonism towards Israel, over
time that will make Israel less secure. It's not sustainable for
the Palestinians because increasingly their economies are
unable to produce the jobs and the goods and the income for
people's basic quality of life. So we know that path is a dead
end, and we've got to move in a new direction. But it's going to be hard. A lot of mistrust has been built
up, a lot of anger, a lot of hatred. And unwinding that hatred
requires patience. But it has been done. You know, think about -- my
Special Envoy to the Middle East is a gentleman named George
Mitchell, who was a senator in the United States and then
became the Special Envoy for the United States in
Northern Ireland. And the Protestants and the
Catholics in Northern Ireland had been fighting for hundreds
of years, and as recently as 20 years ago or 30 years ago, the
antagonism, the hatred, was a fierce as any sectarian
battle in the world. And yet because of persistent,
courageous efforts by leaders, a peace accord was arrived at. A government that uses the
democratic process was formed. And I had at the White House
just a few weeks ago the leader of the Protestants, the leaders
of Catholics in the same room, the separatists and the
unionists in the same room, as part of a single system. And so that tells me that
anything is possible if we're willing to strive for it. But it will depend on young
people like you being open to new ideas and new possibilities. And it will require young people
like you never to stereotype or assume the worst
about other people. In the Muslim world, this notion
that somehow everything is the fault of the Israelis lacks
balance -- because there's two sides to every question. That doesn't mean that sometimes
one side has done something wrong and should
not be condemned. But it does mean there's
always two sides to an issue. I say the same thing to my
Jewish friends, which is you have to see the perspective
of the Palestinians. Learning to stand in somebody
else's shoes to see through their eyes, that's
how peace begins. And it's up to you
to make that happen. All right. Thank you very much, everybody. I enjoyed it. (Applause.)
