European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes James Reston february 1981 Reagan insists on presence in Mideast president Reagan said that he is willing to talk to the russians whenever they Are prepared to discuss a legitimate reduction of nuclear but he insisted that the United states should have a military presence in the Middle East to discourage any reckless moves by the soviet in a private talk on both Domestic and foreign affairs with five reporters in the Oval Reagan said he does not think the soviet Union is prepared for a confrontation that might Lead to world War and he does not feel that talks leading to negotiations for a strategic arms agreement must wait upon the development of his rearmament the president was asked whether the future Salt talks would depend on Progress in improving Amer ican he replied i told the state department that i have no timetable with regard to discussions that might Lead to future negotiations anytime they want to sit Down and discuss a legitimate reduction of nuclear i want to go to such he praised the moral and military authority of observing if its forces were not the United states would have to fill the he added that he did not regard the israeli settlements on the West Bank of the Jordan River As illegal but for the first time suggested that israels Rush to establish More settlements was per haps unnecessarily Reagan agreed that foreign Aid has a role to play in assuring that the United states can have a military pres ence on the ground in the Middle but he criticized what he called the recent panic Over cutting president Carters foreign id Carter had proposed a 34 percent increase in the foreign Aid budget for fiscal he and All that budget director David Stockman had suggested is that this increase be he did not mention Secretary of state Alexander Haig opposition to the Stockman on the he refused to get into the Chickeno egg argument about whether budget cuts should precede tax they will have to go hand in he when asked what he will do if Congress votes his tax cuts but rejects his budget he dismissed the notion and insisted that he will get because there is a new feeling in the country for cuts in both this meeting with reporters from the new York the Wall Street the Christian science the Chicago and time Magazine was the first of a series of such informal news conferences planned for the rest of the the despite his arduous schedule of the last couple was Friendly and As responsive to questions As could be expected so Early in his new adminis he said he is enjoying his new responsibilities and plan if to maintain the spirit of National Unity so evident in the response of the american people to the return of the hostages from Reagan conceded that he has lately seemed to discourage Hopes that he himself raised in the Campaign for a fairly rapid improvement in the one of the things that i have not retreated he is the 1983 target for balancing the but in not As optimistic about advancing it beyond that be since i introduced that economic there was a drastic change in the size of the budget and in the estimate of Revenue were not retreating from what we set out to do we just dont he insisted that he believes in suppl Side economics of reducing taxes to Spur the weve heard for the last 30 everybody in government has talked about How government has got to reduce its govern ments got to trim Back the budget and so he and when we get that then Well go for tax cuts and so they tax and budget cuts go hand in c the new York times i Pont cake Reagan says still cuts Ira Eaker turkish military establishment has Good track record Turkey faces very difficult prob lems in four vital by the beginning of september about people had been killed by terrorist it was Evi Dent that some method must be found to alleviate the internecine warfare which was wrecking the turkeys Economy was out of inflation having risen about 120 percent in its production was operating at less than on half of its capacity it had suffered Seri Ous balance payments it also had serious shortfalls in Petroleum As a re sult of the Ira Iran modernization of the turkish armed forces was a necessity if a slide into absolute anarchy was to be we All recognize the legendary bravery and discipline of the turkish but As Kenan chief of the turkish general said we cant fight world War Iii with world War ii when news of the latest turkish military takeover by Evron there was some speculation that democracy and the democratic process were again struck Down in the turkish military has had a Strong record of reestablishing stability and then restoring control of the country to elected the present military leadership is adhering closely to this the ruling National Security Over which Evren enjoys the Clear support of the turkish people to this has been careful and balanced in since evens terrorism has been reduced to a fraction of the sep tember 1980 the new leaders had some positive eco nomic David chairman of the joint chiefs of visited Turkey recently As the guest of and came away impressed with turkeys determination to solve its difficult problems and to improve its armed since it is important to know How nato will be affected by the events in its extremely Good news that Evren has made a serious commitment to increase the resources devoted to National since these Are so severely limited inside we and our wealthier nato allies should help More by giving foreign military Aid and military our German allies already Are contributing some Aid in these recent soviet actions in Southwest Asia Call for a reorientation in our strategic thinking about and neither we nor the turks have fully recognized this new since nato began and Turkey came into the we always have concentrated our attention on Thrace and Protection of the Straits from attack by the Warsaw pact these remain of it is now that the nato Alli Ance is threatened equally by possible soviet actions in the Southwest Gulf the of greek forces into nato will add to the strength and stability of natos Southern Bernard our supreme Al lied commander in deserves our thanks for his statesmanship in bringing this c Ira Eaker