Bill Clinton: “Demirel of Turkey in Ankara November 15, 1999 President and Mrs. Demirel, Prime Minister and Mrs. Ecevit, to the…”

“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.…”