White House Report, Nov. 21: Turkey, Bush trip to London, Week Ahead

President Bush said he phoned Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan from Great Britain November 21 and told him "our prayers are with his people ... and that we will work with him to defeat terror."

Suicide truck bombings in Istanbul November 15 and 20 killed more than 50 persons and injured hundreds.

Bush spoke with reporters at a community college in Sedgefield, England, that he and Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair were visiting, one of Bush's last events on his four-day state visit to Britain.

"It was a sad day yesterday, but it's a day that reminds us all that we've got a job to do, that is to defeat terror," Bush said.

Asked whether he planned to send FBI agents or investigators to Turkey to help find the perpetrators, Bush said "You'll see as time goes on. Both countries want to help. Obviously, we need to share intelligence. The best way to defeat al Qaeda-type killers is to share intelligence and then work with local authorities to hunt these killers down.

"Great Britain has got a fantastic intelligence service, and we've got a good one, as well. And we want to work with countries like Turkey to anticipate and to find killers."

Asked if Turkey is a new front in the war on terror, Bush said, "It sure is. Two major explosions. And Iraq is a front, Turkey is a front, anywhere where the terrorists think they can strike is a front."

Bush said the United States will "work with any country willing to fight off terror. Just like Great Britain," a country that "is fortunate to have a prime minister who is clear-sighted about the threats of the 21st century. And America is lucky to have a friend as strong as Tony Blair."

BUSH TRIP TO BRITAIN "VERY SUCCESSFUL," WHITE HOUSE SAYS

White House Deputy Press Secretary Claire Buchan told reporters November 21 that President Bush regards his state visit to Great Britain at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth "as having been a tremendous opportunity to highlight the alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom."

"The president has described it as one of the great alliances of mankind. And this was an opportunity for him to highlight that," Buchan said.

She said Bush's discussions with British Prime Minister Tony Blair were an opportunity "to talk about their shared goals."

Bush and Blair, she said, "made very clear that the acts yesterday in Turkey were acts of hatred and acts of terrorism, and we deplore those acts. We are very resolved to fight this war and we're united in our resolve."

The British prime minister, she noted, "is a steadfast supporter of the war on terror. And the two had a good opportunity to meet yesterday. They talked about a broad variety of issues of interest to both of them. And it was a very successful trip."

BUSH WEEK AHEAD

Friday, November 21 -- President returns to White House from state visit to Britain

Saturday, November 22 -- President's radio address on Medicare broadcast

Monday, November 24 -- President pardons National Turkey at White House ceremony; the President will then sign the National Defense Authorization Act at the White House.

He then flies to Fort Carson, Colorado, where he will have lunch with soldiers, and make remarks to soldiers and families, as well as visit with families of the fallen.

Troops at Fort Carson are providing some of the critical work in Iraq, Buchan said, and Bush "looks forward to going there to thank them for their service and to express his appreciation for all that they're doing in this war that has such high stakes."

He will then fly to Texas where he will overnight at his ranch.

Tuesday, November 25 -- Bush will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he will make remarks on Medicare and medical liability.

Then he will attend a Bush-Cheney 2004 luncheon.

After that he will travel to Phoenix, Arizona to participate in a conversation on Medicare, and then attend a Bush-Cheney 2004 reception.

He then will return to his Texas ranch to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. He will remain there through the weekend.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)