CAIRO (Reuters) - It was no surprise that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama both chose Cairo to deliver their vision for the Middle East.
The historic Egyptian capital is home to al Azhar mosque and university, Islam's most prestigious seat of learning, lending authority to the words of any visiting leader anxious to influence Arab opinion.
Erdogan was given a hero's welcome by Egyptians waving Turkish flags. His speech was interrupted by cheers in stark contrast to the reception given two years earlier to Obama, who was flanked by tight security and listened to quietly.
But since Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a popular uprising in February after 30 years in power, the choice of venue is even more compelling.
"Obama, no matter how good his intentions, is restrained by certain policies. He can't govern America based on his intentions. There are leaders and lobbies," said Hisham Saleh, in a reference to what Arabs see as Israeli influence on U.S. policy.
"Erdogan's history proves that he is a man of his word," said Saleh, 26, who listened to Erdogan in Cairo's opera house complex on Tuesday evening.
Both leaders' messages were similar -- justice for the Palestinians and democracy for oppressed Arabs -- but the reception was different.
"Democracy and freedom is as basic a right as bread and water for you, my brothers," Erdogan said. Obama talked of the need for "governments that reflect the will of the people."
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