    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [November 15, 1999]
    [Pages 2089-2090]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Welcoming Ceremony in Ankara
    November 15, 1999

        Thank you very much, Mr. President,
    Mrs. Demirel, distinguished friends. I thank
    you for your reception and for the invitation to come to Turkey. I'm
    delighted to be here in a place I have wanted to visit for a very long
    time, to deepen America's ties with one of our most important partners
    and allies.
        For most of this century, as Turkey and the United States come
    closer together, our relationship has been distinguished by an
    increasing sense of how much, together, we can do to improve the lives
    of our people.
        The recent earthquakes have humbled us, reminding us that for all of
    the advances and our own capacity to shape the future, there is much in
    life that lies utterly beyond our control. No one could have foreseen or
    avoided the terrible tragedy that struck Turkey on August 17th, or the
    earthquake which came again just last week.
        I want to express, on behalf of the American people, again, our
    profound sympathies and condolences to all the people of Turkey for all
    that you have lost. We have been honored to stand with you as you have
    worked so heroically to clear the damaged areas from the first
    earthquake and to return as best as possible to the cadence of normal
    life. And we pledge to work with you as you deal with this natural
    tragedy, as well. The United States is proud to stand with Turkey in
    good times or bad, against cruel natural calamities, terrorism, or other
    threats to freedom and democracy.
        With regard to the earthquake, we have dispatched a search-and-
    rescue team to the area and sent tents to house 10,000 people made
    homeless. Our Export-Import Bank has allocated $1 billion in lending
    authority to help Turkish businesses finance projects related to
    reconstruction. We will continue to do all we can to speed your
    recovery, to encourage private investment,

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    to help you prepare for future natural disasters. I would also like to
    express my appreciation for the swift response from many other nations,
    including Greece, to the needs of the people of Turkey at this moment.
        Mr. President, over the next 5 days, I
    will have the opportunity to be in your nation on the longest visit ever
    by an American President to Turkey. I want to express my solidarity with
    the Turkish people and America's commitment to Turkey's future. We will
    work for a future in which Turkey continues to be an ally of America, a
    partner in the new Europe, and reconciled with others in the region,
    especially our friends in Greece.
        I thank you for the opportunity today to meet with leaders of
    Turkish democracy in Ankara and the opportunity to speak to the members
    of the Grand National Assembly, and then for the opportunity to go to
    Istanbul to participate with you and 50 other leaders at the OSCE
    Summit. I thank you for the opportunity to go and see some of the
    survivors of the first earthquake, to learn about what we in America
    still can do to help.
        Mr. President, you mentioned that it
    was 10 years ago this month that the Berlin Wall fell. I want to thank
    you again for the partnership we have had for peace and freedom with
    Turkey in the years since, especially in Bosnia and Kosovo.
        I thank you for sharing the lesson we are still learning in times of
    agony as well as joy. We are all in this together. And to me that means,
    in part, we must continue to fulfill a vision of a Europe undivided,
    democratic, in peace for the first time in history, anchored by a stable
    and prosperous Turkey.
        Mr. President, this week I pledge to
    you that I will work with you to fulfill the promise of that unified,
    whole, free Europe. With Europe--a Europe that includes Turkey--and a
    partnership with Turkey and the United States that includes our
    commitment to freedom and opportunity for all people, we have a chance
    to start a new century on higher ground. And the success of our
    partnership will have a lot to do with that.
        Thank you again for welcoming me and for being a genuine friend to
    the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 11:15 a.m. on the Lawn of the
    Official Residence of the President. In his remarks, he referred to
    President Suleyman Demirel of Turkey and his wife, Nazmiye. The
    transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included
    the remarks of President Demirel.