[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

[[Page 2100]]

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.