[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[November 16, 1999]
[Pages 2100-2101]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to Earthquake Survivors in Izmit, Turkey
November 16, 1999

    Thank you for making us feel so welcome. I want to especially thank 
the Governor, the mayor, 
the Deputy Governors who went on tour. I want to thank the Yoldas family 
and the other families who took us into their tents and gave us a 
feeling for what your lives are like here. I want to thank the teachers 
and the students who took us into the schools. I want to thank the 
children who sang us songs and gave us their posters and gave us their 
little work of clay. I want to thank all of you who have worked hard to 
clear away the remaining damage done by the earthquake and to begin the 
process of rebuilding.
    I know this is a time of great uncertainty for you, especially since 
another earthquake just hit not too far from here. I want you to know 
that most of the tents that you are staying in here came from the United 
States, and we have sent 500 more winterized tents to that province to 
help the people who have been made homeless by the earthquake there. We 
are also working hard to help the reconstruction process and help 
Turkey's businesses get back in business. We want everyone to be able to 
go back to work as soon as possible.
    The one thing I would like to say today--I know I speak for my 
wife and my daughter--is that we were very, very moved by having family 
contact with other families. And we could imagine what our lives would 
be like if such a thing were to happen to us, as we have seen it happen 
to families in the United States.
    We were so impressed that a total of 87 other countries came forward 
to help the people of Turkey who were hurt in the earthquake. And we 
were very grateful that one of the countries that came forward to help 
was your neighbor Greece. And then, when the Greeks had their

[[Page 2101]]

earthquake, the Turkish people came forward to help them.
    I hope the ordinary people in Greece and Turkey who have suffered 
from these terrible natural disasters can send a clear message to the 
leaders that the people of this region can get along, and they should 
get along, and when they do get along, our children's lives and futures 
are better.
    Now, in the meanwhile, I want you to know that we in the United 
States will do everything we can to help you until your lives return to 
normal. And we will help those people in the area hit by the most recent 
earthquake. We will stay with you and work with you. And I just want to 
urge you to keep your spirits up, keep the smiles on your children's 
faces, keep helping the people who lost their loved ones in the 
earthquake, and know that together we will get through this to better 
days.
    Thank you very, very much.

Note: The President spoke at 12:10 p.m. at the Dogukisla tent city. In 
his remarks, he referred to Gov. Kemal Onal of Izmit Province; and Mayor 
Sefa Sirmen of Izmit.