Obama highlights his Muslim roots in Turkey speech

Obama, who downplayed his own family ties to Islam during last year’s presidential campaign, found them of greater use in the Turkish capital, telling a gathering of the Grand National Assembly that “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,” Obama said. “I know, because I am one of them.”

Obama ends Europe trip with tour of Istanbul mosque

Taking off his shoes as tradition requires, Obama stepped into the 17th-century Sultanahmet Mosque in the ancient heart of Istanbul, accompanied by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid tight security in the area.

Two Muslim preachers guided Obama inside the grandiose edifice — better known as the Blue Mosque for its blue tileworks — and the president smiled when they showed him a dome scripture mentioning the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Hussein, Obama’s middle name, Anatolia news agency reported.

In a major speech at the Turkish parliament in Ankara Monday, Obama declared that the United States “is not and never will be at war with Islam” and called Turkey a “critical ally,” earning himself much praise in a country where his predecessor left the US image in tatters.

“Obama conquers hearts,” the popular Vatan newspaper trumpeted on its front page, while the liberal Taraf said the speech marked the end of “the bellicose spirit of September 11.”

/yeah, Turkey, our NATO ally that totally [expletive deleted] up our Iraqi Freedom deployment plans and cost us untold American lives in the ensuing improvisation, now they’re our best buddies?