Washington: US President Barack Obama and visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan braved light drizzle to address a joint news conference at the White House.
But as the rain intensified, Obama called in marines with umbrella to provide him shelter and his Turkish guest.
"I am going to go ahead and ask folks -- why don`t we get a couple of Marines, they`re going to look good next to us," Obama said amidst laughter as he asked for marines “with umbrellas to protect them from rain..."
"...Just because I`ve got a change of suits but I don`t know about our (Turkish) Prime Minister," Obama said amidst laughter.
"There we go. That`s good," he said as the two marines arrived on the podium and opened the umbrellas.
Nearly 100 reporters, photographers and television crews continued to brave the rain as the press conference went ahead at the Rose Garden yesterday.
"You guys I`m sorry about," Obama told journalists.
The two Marines held the umbrellas over heads of the two leaders.
Veteran journalists covering the White House said that it was one of the rarest occasion when the US President addressed the press conference braving rain. For most of the time, such press conferences were moved to the East Room.
As he concluded his opening remarks, Obama offered umbrella to his guest.
"Well, before we get started let me just make sure that I`m a good host. Mr Prime Minister, do you want an umbrella? Because we can arrange it if you need it.”
"You`re okay? All right, this will be incentive for the press to ask concise questions and us to give concise answers," Obama joked.
PTI
