"Barack Obama is visiting Turkey - his first trip to a predominantly
Muslim country since becoming US president.

He is expected to try to revitalise ties with the Turkish government,
which have deteriorated in recent years because of the war in Iraq.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul greeted Mr Obama, who has voiced
support for Turkey's efforts to join the EU.

He said Turkey's accession would send an important signal to the
Muslim world and firmly anchor it within Europe.

Before his visit, the US leader attended a Nato summit in France,
where he helped to overcome Turkey's objection to Danish Prime
Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's appointment as the military
alliance's next secretary general.

Turkey had initially blocked his appointment because he had defended
the right of one of his country's newspapers to publish controversial
cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which caused outrage in much of the
Muslim world.

But Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Mr
Obama's support had helped to assuage his country's concerns.