CHICAGO — US President Barack Obama faces demands for his attention on a vast range of issues at home and abroad, but diplomacy toward divided Cyprus may not be at the top of his list.
On a visit Wednesday to his hometown Chicago to rally his base ahead of next year's presidential election, Obama defended the right not to be a know-it-all and cited Cyprus as an example.
"Sometimes it's not so bad to say, 'I don't know,'" Obama told a supporter who asked a general question about the campaign.
"If somebody asks you something about where does the president stand on Cyprus, and you say I'm not sure, but here is what -- I promise you I'll find out an answer and we'll make sure to call you back," he said.
Obama, who generally appears to enjoy questions on foreign affairs, said that leaders are not expected to know "the ins and outs of every policy," but should respond "with courtesy" in a timely way to concerns.
Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a visit last month to Turkey, said that the United States wanted a speedy solution to the long-running division, calling for a "bi-zonal, bi-communal federation."
US policy has long been a sore point for Cypriot and Greek nationalists, who accuse then secretary of state Henry Kissinger of turning a blind eye to the 1974 invasion so as not to jeopardize ties with Turkey.
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