Remarks by the President of the US (January 30, 1996)

Miscellaneous Directory

From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <[email protected]>

January 30, 1996

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

5:16 P.M. EST

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Cabinet Room

5:16 P.M. EST

[...]

Q Mr. President, you were on the phone with the leaders of Greece and Turkey this afternoon?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I was.

Q Could you tell us about what the situation was there? Have you been able to make any progress on that?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I talked to the President and the Prime Minister of Turkey and the new Prime Minister of Greece and asked them to move their forces away from that little island, and to find a diplomatic solution to the issue. And I heard them out at some length and we discussed some options. And then the Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury -- I mean, the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have all been involved in this. We have been working hard on this today.

Greece and Turkey have too much in common, too much to gain from getting along with each other, and we have too many other important issues in that area that affect both their interests for this small piece of land to be allowed to develop into a crisis for the two of them. So the United States is doing everything we possibly can and I have some hope that the crisis will abate over the next 24 or 48 hours. But there's still one or two issues remaining in the air as we speak.

THE PRESS: Thank you.

END 5:22 P.M. EST