Your Excellency, Mr. President Süleyman Demirel
Dear Mrs. Demirel,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The cordial welcome in Turkey has deeply moved all of us coming from Estonia. I am very glad to be on my second official visit in Turkey, especially as this enables me to congratulate you personally on the occasion of the anniversary of Turkey. Conversations with you, Mr. President, enabled me to compare the situation of our countries and also our positions in foreign policy, and to plan the steps important to both sides for the near future. On many meetings, Estonia has gratefully experienced Turkey's sincerity, your open-mindedness and your affection.

I would like to assure you that Estonia feels equally deep affection towards Turkey. With attention and interest, we have been following your courageous and self-confident policies, especially your activities in NATO. In your region, you are the outpost of security policy and democracy - you have convinced the Western world of the possibility of democracy in the Islamic world. We know that democracy can only be simple as an idea. In real life, democracy is much more complex. Your success, and the position you have assumed in today's intricate world, proves your chosen path to be reliable.

Personally, I have deep and sincere feelings for Turkey and my good friend Süleyman Demirel. I am glad to admit that the relations between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Estonia are excellent, dating back to the nineteen twenties. During World War II, Turkey was one of the countries that did not recognize the occupation of Estonia by the Red Army, then by Germany and then once more by the Red Army. Turkey was one of the first to restore diplomatic relations with the Republic of Estonia, when we had de facto restored the independence of our country. The legal basis of the relations between our countries has also developed with a favourable pace and our co-operation in the field of economics has been successful regardless of the complicated international financial situation. All this is a result of Estonia and Turkey sharing common values and having similar priorities in foreign policy. Endwise, Turkey has made her contribution to the mosaic that we call Europe - Europe being an idea put together fragment by fragment. But besides that, Turkey comprises in herself everything that was there before Europe.

For us, Turkey has always been the promoter of peace and stability in this region. It would be impossible to underestimate Turkey's role in NATO and in NATO-s decisions concerning Balkan that were made even during the last difficult weeks. Estonia supports NATO-s resolute action and continues to see accession to NATO as one of our foreign policy priorities. The recent criticism expressed by the Russian Prime Minister Primakov, saying that NATO must not enlarge behind the former ''red line'', i.e. to the territory of the former Soviet Union, does not concern us, because the Republic of Estonia has never been part of the Soviet Union. The non-recognition policy of Turkey also emphasised this fact. We also find support in your words said in Tallinn during your State visit, that every country has the right to choose its security policy guarantees, regardless of its history or geographical position. Estonia has always been able to rely on Turkey's support.

Our cordial relations and political partnership could mutually be viewed as an outpost in the South and an outpost in the Baltoscandia. Here we are dealing with a political reality, with an unduly underestimated dimension of strength stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. It has become a habit to view Europe in terms of East and West. It is our task to make the existence of the North-South axis manifest to the international public, and we are prepared to do that.

Dear friends, it is easy for me to say all this to you, because I know that you understand me. The Estonian people have known and understood Turkey and the Turkish people since ancient times. For us, Turkey is exotic and also close, and these two things together are what cultural affinity is all about. Turkish fiction has been translated into Estonian - from the classical poet Yunus Emre to the distinguished modern author Yaşar Kemal. The fact that the Patriarch of the Estonian Orthodox Church resides in Constantinople once more proves the existence of the North-South axis.

The days spent in your country have been rich. As the Turkish poet Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca has put it (translation into Estonian by Ly Seppel) ''Understanding/ Is a Journey/ in the Country / of the Other.''

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Estonia wishes success and happiness to the Republic of Turkey, the flagship of all the Turkish peoples.

In honour of Turkey and the Turkish people!

Please raise your glasses: to your health, Mr. President and Mrs. Demirel.

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