[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 39 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Pages 1844-1845]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit of Turkey 
and an Exchange With Reporters

September 28, 1999

    The President. Let me say it's a great pleasure and an honor for me 
to welcome the Prime Minister here to the White House. I would like to 
begin by expressing my deep appreciation to Turkey for the outstanding 
leadership exhibited during the crisis in Kosovo and the role Turkey 
played working with our NATO Allies there.
    But we have much to discuss today, including the progress in dealing 
with the aftermath of the earthquake; the improving relationships 
between Turkey and Greece and the European Union; questions involving 
Cyprus, human rights, economic reform, many other things. But this 
meeting is occurring in an atmosphere of hope and a positive atmosphere 
that recognizes not only our longtime strategic partnership with Turkey 
but recent developments and this Prime Minister's leadership. And I 
appreciate it very much.

Oil Pipeline in Turkey

    Q. ----on the pipeline issue. Are you planning to help Turkey about 
that?
    The President. Well, you know, we feel very strongly about the 
pipeline. We've made that very clear and unambiguous, and we will 
continue to support it.
    Q. Are you going to give more aid?
    The President. You had a question?

Cyprus

    Q. Yes, Mr. President. What would you like to see from Turkey to see 
some progress in Cyprus? Do you need to see some movement from the 
Turkish side?
    The President. Well, what we've been working for all along is the 
resumption of U.N.-sponsored talks without preconditions. And we hope 
that somehow we can find a way to get there.
    Q. How about more aid?

Turkey and the European Union

    Q. Mr. President, Washington watches very closely Turkey's relations 
with the EU, and from your perspective, what are the major obstacles 
barring Turkey from having better ties and full membership?
    The President. Well, first of all, I believe that there has been 
some progress. There's been the change in attitude in some of the 
European capitals about Turkey's integration into EU. I think that the 
actions that have been taken to improve relations with Greece have 
helped. I think some of the actions on human rights have helped. And I 
think more movement in those directions will eventually get the results 
that Turkey wants.
    You know, the United States--from the first day I got here as 
President, almost 7 years ago, I have strongly supported Turkey's 
integration into Europe--into the economic structures of the European 
Union as well as, obviously, in NATO and other networks. I think it's 
very, very important to the future of the world, particularly the 
critical part of the world that you occupy. But we have to make some 
progress on these other issues. And I think we're moving in the right 
direction.

Kosovo

    Q. Mr. President, if the Kosovars opt for independence, will that be 
a betrayal of our reason for going in there? And are we supporting 
independence?
    The President. Well, we have supported for Kosovar, and we continue 
to support--for Kosovo, excuse me--autonomy, which is not protected 
autonomy because of the conduct of the Serbs and the government of Mr. 
Milosevic. And that continues to be our position. We need to do our best 
to implement the agreements that we have made within the policy 
framework that both NATO and the United Nations have approved. And we 
intend to do that.
    Press Secretary Joe Lockhart. Thank you very much, everyone.
    The President. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 12:55 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to President Slobodan Milosevic of 
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). A tape was 
not available for verification of the content of these remarks.

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