    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [November 15, 1999]
    [Pages 2099-2100]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a State Dinner Hosted by President Suleyman Demirel of Turkey in Ankara
    November 15, 1999

        President and Mrs. Demirel, Prime
    Minister and Mrs. Ecevit, to the government coalition partners, the other
    parliamentary leaders, Mr. Speaker,
    distinguished Turkish and American friends.
        Let me begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for the wonderful
    reception. I am delighted to see so many friends of our two countries at
    a moment of great optimism for our relationship, tempered by great
    sadness over the tragedy of the earthquakes you have suffered.
        President Eisenhower visited Turkey for a day in 1959. President
    Bush came for 2 days in 1991. I am proud to be spending 5 days here.
    Every visit seems to be twice as long as the last one. [Laughter] The
    good news is, our partnership is becoming more important every year. The
    bad news is that if American Presidents keep this up, some day one of us
    will not be welcome here. [Laughter]
        Our relations go back to the beginning of the United States. Not
    long after our country was created, a high official, the Grand Senor, at
    what was then Constantinople, saw a ship flying the American flag sail
    into the harbor. Because the flag with stars on it was considered to be
    a lucky sign, he predicted then that the people of Turkey and the United
    States would enjoy a long friendship. Now, his prophecy has come to
    pass.
        Our friendship deepened more than 50 years ago, when another ship
    sailed into the Bosphorus. I'm told that every citizen of your country
    then alive remembers the day the United States ship Missouri arrived to
    protect the peace in the uncertain days following World War II. That
    sent a message that America will always be there when our Turkish
    friends need us.
        Since then, it's been equally true that each time our common
    interests have been imperiled, the Turkish people have been there
    alongside America. This fall another American vessel came to Turkey,
    under tragic circumstances, when the Kearsarge arrived to assist the
    victims of the earthquake. Now Turkey again has suffered natural
    disaster. And again I send the same simple message: Please, let us know
    what we can do to help, and we will be there.
        How we use our friendship will do much to define the century we are
    about to begin. What we do together will help to determine whether peace
    takes hold in the Middle East, whether tolerance takes root in the
    Balkans, whether young democracies succeed in the Caucasus. The way we
    do business together will help to determine whether our people have the
    jobs and reliable sources of energy necessary well into the new century.
    What we have stood for together, most recently in Kosovo, will help to
    decide whether the coming century is marked

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    by democracy rooted in our common humanity or by tyranny feeding off
    hatred.
        I must take a moment tonight to express my appreciation for the
    contributions to the United States of our citizens of Turkish descent.
    Just last week a remarkable Turkish-American, named Kenan Sahin, gave
    $100 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology out of
    gratitude for the education he received there. Ahmet Ertegun was the son
    of a Turkish Ambassador to the United States who grew up in Washington.
    But instead of attending diplomatic events like this one, he spent most
    of his time going out to hear rhythm and blues musicians. When he
    founded Atlantic Records, he fundamentally changed the history of modern
    American music in ways that have greatly enriched every single citizen
    of our country and hundreds of millions of people throughout the world.
        When we finished shaking hands with all of you tonight, the
    President said, ``Well, I know that was a long line, but I wanted you to
    see the face of modern Turkey.'' Well, I have had the opportunity to see
    the face of modern Turkey, and I am confident that when it comes to our
    relationship and our common endeavors, the best is yet to come.
        Mr. President, we are grateful for your leadership and all you have
    done in your distinguished career. Fifty years ago you came to the
    United States to study and work among us. When we celebrated our
    Bicentennial in 1976, you wrote a moving essay describing how your first
    visit persuaded you of the importance of, and I use your words,
    ``providing full opportunities to all citizens, regardless of birth,
    origin, and creed.''
        Mr. President, though your engineering days are over, I am proud of
    the bridges you have helped us to build together. I ask all of you to
    join Hillary, me, and our American delegation in a toast to the
    President and Mrs. Demirel, Prime
    Minister and Mrs. Ecevit, and the people of Turkey.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:05 p.m. in the Main Dining Room at the
    Presidential Palace. In his remarks, he referred to President Demirel's
    wife, Nazmiye; Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit of Turkey and his wife,
    Rahsan; and Turkish Grand National Assembly Speaker Yildirim Akbulut.