March 10, 2003

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Dr. Robert Strausz-Hupe, I would like to offer my best wishes to the Heritage Foundation and the participants in the Moscow celebration of this anniversary. I wish that I could be there with you to participate in honoring this great American, and world citizen. But if I am to truly honor his memory, I should be here, in Ankara in a very critical period, continuing the work that he did so well. His role in the Turkish-American relationship advanced the interests of both parties as well as peace and prosperity to the entire region.

Ambassador Strausz-Hupe's productive service throughout such a long life and an exceptionally long period as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey 1981-1989, has left us all with wonderful anecdotes. Every officer who served at our Embassy during his tenure has a story about his insight, his grasp of grand geo-strategic issues and his gift for appearing to be a subdued older gentleman and then astounding his interlocutors with a flash of brilliance. I want to avoid the temptation to focus on these stories and to underline the contribution that this great public servant made to U.S.-Turkish and regional relations.

Ambassador Robert Strausz-Hupe was President Reagan's personal representative to a nation that had been a critical ally throughout the Cold War. But he was also the Chief Executive Officer of a large and complex American Embassy. As such, he set the example for his successors in his brilliant orchestration of a large and diverse mix of U.S. government agencies operating in Turkey. He gave our Embassy the model of a coherent "country team".

His legacy includes his foresight in helping to shape an enduring relationship between Turkey and Israel. The result of his effort brought two strategic allies of the United States together and demonstrated that a Muslim nation could cooperate on a number of levels with Israel. Today, the work that he did to shape this relationship is an important consideration in all our initiatives in the region.

During his years in Ankara he finalized the Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement, the DECA, between Turkey and the U.S. . This was a significant effort that solidified our bilateral relationship, but which also demonstrated to the world the solidarity within the NATO alliance in those last years of the Cold War.

Scholar, diplomat, mentor to many of America's leaders, Robert Strausz-Hupe continues to serve us all as a model of character, intellect and creative public service.