Subject: CLINTON-CILLER (L) BY DAVID BORGIDA/WHITE HOUSE
Topic: voa
From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis)
 
DATE=4/19/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-177248
TITLE=CLINTON-CILLER (L)
BYLINE=DAVID BORGIDA
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER HAS TOLD PRESIDENT 
CLINTON THAT TURKISH TROOPS WILL SOON BE COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN 
FROM NORTHERN IRAQ, WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN FIGHTING KURDISH REBELS.
HER REASSURANCE IS GOOD NEWS TO THE PRESIDENT -- WHO HAS 
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE INCURSION SINCE IT BEGAN LAST MONTH. 
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DAVID BORGIDA REPORTS THE INCURSION 
DOES  NOT  SEEM TO BE HARMING A RELATIONSHIP WHICH THE CLINTON 
ADMINISTRATION VIEWS AS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT.

TEXT:  THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER -- UNDER PRESSURE TO END THE  
INCURSION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE-- DID  NOT  PROVIDE THE 
ADMINISTRATION WITH A SPECIFIC DEADLINE BY WHICH TURKISH TROOPS 
WOULD BE OUT OF NORTHERN IRAQ.  THAT, SHE SAID, WOULD ENDANGER 
TROOPS STILL SEARCHING FOR REBELS IN MOUNTAINS AND CAVES IN 
NORTHERN IRAQ.  

BUT SHE INDICATED THAT WITH ABOUT TEN PERCENT OF THE TROOPS 
ALREADY WITHDRAWN, THE END IS IN SIGHT.

                        ///CILLER ACT///

         WE ARE THERE ONLY FOR A LIMITED TIME.  WE HAVE GOTTEN A 
         HOLD OF THE BASES THAT WE WANTED TO DO.  THE MAJORITY OF
         THE JOB IS DONE AND OVER WITH.  THE WITHDRAWAL WILL BE 
         VERY SOON.

                            ///END ACT///

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD HOLBROOKE SAYS "VERY SOON" 
MEANS IN A MATTER OF WEEKS.  IN A BRIEFING WITH REPORTERS 
FOLLOWING THE CILLER-CLINTON MEETING, HE DESCRIBED THE KURDISH 
REBELS, KNOWN AS THE P-K-K, AS TERRORISTS -- AND SAID THE UNITED 
STATES DOES  NOT  BELIEVE THE INCURSION WAS A VIOLATION OF 
INTERNATIONAL LAW.  

PRIME MINISTER CILLER'S MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT COINCIDED WITH
THE ARREST IN TURKEY OF 21 SUSPECTED TERRORISTS ALLEGED TO BE 
INVOLVED IN AN ASSASSINATION PLOT AGAINST THE PRIME MINISTER.

SHE REACTED TO THE NEWS VERY CALMLY. . .

                         //CILLER ACT///

         I AM  NOT  WORRIED ABOUT THE SECURITY OF MY COUNTRY OR 
         MYSELF.  I HAVE A MISSION -- AND THAT MISSION IS A PEACE
         MISSION FOR THE AREA.

                            ///END ACT///

AS FOR HER MISSION TO THE UNITED STATES, IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN 
SUCCESSFUL.  SHE MADE, AS PRESIDENT CLINTON DESCRIBED, A 
"FORCEFUL" CASE FOR HER COUNTRY AND ITS STRATEGIC VALUE TO THE 
UNITED STATES.

PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS SYMPATHETIC:

                        ///CLINTON ACT///

         THE UNITED STATES HAS HAD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH 
         TURKEY, AND I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE 
         CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP INTO THE FUTURE.  AND IN 
         ORDER TO DO IT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EACH 
         OTHER'S POSITION, EACH OTHER'S PROBLEMS, EACH OTHER'S 
         POTENTIAL TO WORK TOGETHER, AND I'VE TRIED TO DO THAT.

                          ///END ACT///

U-S OFFICIALS BELIEVE TURKEY IS MOVING TOWARD DEMOCRATIZATION, 
AND THEY WANT TO TAKE MORE STEPS TO SOLIDIFY THE BILATERAL 
RELATIONSHIP.  A TAX TREATY BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES IS NEARLY 
COMPLETED, AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY HOLBROOKE SAID PRESIDENT 
CLINTON IS COMMITTED TO BE ACTIVE IN THE SEARCH FOR WHAT HE 
CALLED A BICOMMUNAL FEDERATION IN CYPRUS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.  
HE ALSO WELCOMED TURKEY'S DECISION TO ALLOW OVERFLIGHTS OF 
ARMENIA.  

MOST TELLING AS FAR AS THE U-S VIEW OF TURKEY'S IMPORTANCE WAS 
THIS COMMENT BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY HOLBROOKE -- HE SAID THE 
DIRECTION TURKEY TAKES FOR ITS FUTURE WILL AFFECT THE REST OF 
EUROPE.  (SIGNED)

NEB/BORG/MMK

19-Apr-95 1:49 PM EDT (1749 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America