Obama In Istanbul: Visits Mosque, Reaches Out To Turkish Youth

ISTANBUL, Turkey — President Barack Obama heralded a "new chapter of American engagement" with the world on Tuesday and vowed to forge new relationships in the Middle East and elsewhere. But he cautioned that turning U.S. policy in a new direction would take time. "States are like big tankers, they're not like speedboats. You can't just whip them around and go in another direction," Obama said in a question-and-answer session with Turkish college students.
"You turn them slowly, and eventually you end up in a very different place," he said, responding to a student who asked about differences between him and his predecessor.
Obama ended his first overseas trip as president with an appeal to the world to put aside stereotypes and misconceptions: the view by many Muslims that Israel is to blame for all problems, similar views in reverse by "some of my Jewish friends," the view in parts of the world that Americans are crass and selfish.
"The world will be what you make of it," Obama told the students. "You can choose to make new bridges instead of new walls." LinkHere