The White House
                                    
                     Office of the Press Secretary
                        (Hackensack, New Jersey)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     March 11, 1996

                                    
                                    
                                    
                    Statement By The Press Secretary
                                    
              Visit of Turkish President Suleyman Demirel


     President Clinton has invited Turkish President Suleyman Demirel to
Washington for a working visit on March 29.  President Demirel has
accepted the invitation.  This visit provides an opportunity for the two
leaders to affirm the close ties between the United States and Turkey.
They will discuss a full range of bilateral issues, including Turkey's
pivotal role in the region, from Cyprus, the Balkans, and the Caucasus
to the Middle East, as well as bilateral and regional economic issues.


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