President Trump: It is a great pleasure to welcome
President Erdogan for his first visit
to the White House in years.
The American and Turkish peoples have been
friends and allies for many, many decades.
Turkey was a pillar in the Cold War against communism.
It was a bastion against Soviet expansion.
And Turkish courage in war is legendary.
That is so true.
Turkish soldiers fought bravely alongside of
American soldiers in the Korean War, and we haven't
forgotten what they did.
In some ways, when we looked at their great
bravery in the fight of Korea -- and in Korea,
it was just something that our soldiers and our great
generals still remember.
Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur singled
out and praised the exemplary valor
of the Turkish soldier -- said, some of the great soldiers
of the world.
Today, we face a new enemy in the fight against
terrorism, and again we seek to face this threat together.
The Turkish people have faced horrible terrorist
attacks in recent years and even recently.
We offer our compassion to the victims, and we offer
our support to the Turkish nation.
We support Turkey in the first fight against terror
and terror groups like ISIS and the PKK,
and ensure they have no safe quarter, the terror groups.
We also appreciate Turkey's leadership
in seeking an end to the horrific killing in Syria.
The Syrian civil war shocks the conscience
of the whole world.
And all you have to do is look in the front page
of the papers today and you'll see exactly what
we're talking about.
We also support any effort that can be used to reduce
the violence in Syria and create the conditions
for a peaceful resolution.
President Erdogan and I are also discussing
the need to reinvigorate our trade and commercial ties.
These are areas where we can build our relationship
that will benefit both of our countries.
Military equipment was ordered by Turkey and the President,
and we've made sure that it gets there quickly.
I look forward to working together with President
Erdogan on achieving peace and security in the Middle East,
on confronting the shared threats,
and on working toward a future of dignity and safety
for all of our people.
Mr. President, thank you for visiting our country
and joining us today at the White House.
It is a great honor to have you with us.
Thank you.
(Speaking Turkish)
President Erdogan: Mr. President, my dear friend,
distinguished members of the press, at the outset
I'd like to whole-heartedly salute you all.
(speaking Turkish)
And I would like to take all this opportunity
to thank President Trump and his team for the generous
hospitality they have shown us upon arrival,
not only to my personal self but to the entire members
of my delegation.
On behalf of the entire Turkish nation, thank you,
Mr. President.
(Speaking Turkish)
And once again, in your presence, I would like
to congratulate President Trump for the legendary
triumph that he has garnered in the aftermath
of the elections.
(Speaking Turkish)
President Erdogan: Quite recently, we've had
bilateral discussions with
President Trump.
(Speaking Turkish)
And we've had the opportunity
to focus on the outstanding relations between Turkey
and the United States that date back a long time
in history, which are very well rooted and which have
quite happily reached a level of strategic partnership.
(Speaking Turkish)
The relations between Turkey and the United States
have been erected upon common democratic
values and common interests.
(Speaking Turkish)
Keeping our outstanding relations stronger than
ever will be very important not only for our common interests,
but also stability of the globe and peace around the world.
(Speaking Turkish)
The close cooperation that both of the countries
shall demonstrate, especially in the region,
which is currently in turmoil, will be
very important for the rest of the world.
(Speaking Turkish)
And, primarily, we are alongside by each other
as Turkey and the United States, under the roof
of the United Nations, NATO, and the G20.
(Speaking Turkish)
We have been enjoying a close cooperation in all
of these platforms, in all of these fora around the world.
And in the future to come, we are going to focus
on making sure that we're going to expand our close
cooperation and build on the outstanding dialogue
that we enjoy.
(Speaking Turkish)
We are determined to expand our relations,
and I believe my current official visit
to the United States will mark a historical turn of tide.
(Speaking Turkish)
Whether it be throughout our bilateral discussions,
whether it be the discussions that we shall
have between the delegations, I think
we are going to enjoy some further gains in terms
of the future of our relations.
(Speaking Turkish)
We seem to agree on expanding our relations
in the field of economy, trade, reciprocal
investments, energy, and defense industry.
(Speaking Turkish)
It is going to be very important for us to forge
a close solidarity and cooperation in the field
of fighting terrorism, primarily with Daesh and
all the other terrorist organizations in the region.
(Speaking Turkish)
And we are committed to fighting all forms of
terrorism, without any discrimination whatsoever,
that impose a clear and a present threat upon our future.
(Speaking Turkish)
There is no place for the terrorist organizations in
the future of our region.
(Speaking Turkish)
Taking YPG and PYD in the region -- taking them
into consideration in the region, it will never
be accepted, and it is going to be against a global
agreement that we have reached.
(Speaking Turkish)
And we should never allow those groups to manipulate
the religious structure and the ethnic structure
of the region making terrorism as a pretext
or an excuse.
(Speaking Turkish)
Those who are willing to turn to chaos in Syria,
Iraq, Yemen, and Libya are bound to lose eventually.
(Speaking Turkish)
They will never be able to turn that chaos in that
part of the world into an opportunity, and the
terrorist organizations with blood on their hands
are bound to fail.
(Speaking Turkish)
And as I have previously done so, I have been
frankly communicating our expectations with regard
to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization,
which we have notified our friends of their
involvement in the failed coup of July the 15th in Turkey.
(Speaking Turkish)
And we have taken into consideration the joint
steps that we can take forward in Syria and Iraq.
(Speaking Turkish)
Of course, President Trump's recent election
victory has led to the awakening of a new set
of aspirations and expectations and hopes
in our region.
(Speaking Turkish)
And we know that, by the help of the new
U.S. administration, these hopes will not be lost in vain.
(Speaking Turkish)
And we find that it was the most necessary answer
to be given to the Syrian regime, especially
in the aftermath of the recent chemical attacks
that took place.
(Speaking Turkish)
And we know that, in terms of keeping up with the
principled and committed fight against
the terrorists' organizations all around the world,
we will not repeat the mistakes of the past,
and we will continue down this path together.
(Speaking Turkish)
In the restoration and the establishment of stability
and security of the region in question, the alliance
and this partnership and cooperation between the
United States and Turkey is of vital importance.
(Speaking Turkish)
I hope and pray that both of us will be committed
to expanding further our cooperation in the future
along with consulting each other more frequently.
(Speaking Turkish)
We are laying the foundation of a new era
between the two countries in terms of our relations.
I hope and pray that this new administration will
bring forth auspicious results for the relations.
(Speaking Turkish)
And I would like to thank President Trump for his
very kind and cordial invitation, and I'm looking
forward to hosting him in Turkey along
with his entire family.
President Trump: Thank you all very much.
Appreciate it.
We're going to go to meetings now.
The Press: Mr. President, (inaudible) the intelligence
that you spoke with the Russians about?
President Trump: Well, we had a very, very
successful meeting with the Foreign Minister of Russia.
Our fight is against ISIS, as General McMaster said.
I thought he said -- and I know he feels, that we had
actually a great meeting with the Foreign Minister.
So, we're going to have a lot of great success over
the next coming years, and we want to get as many
to help fight terrorism as possible.
And that's one of the beautiful things that's
happening with Turkey.
The relationship that we have together will be unbeatable.
So, thank you all very much.
I appreciate it.
We're going to meetings right now.
Thank you.