US stands by Turkey and its democracy

US Ambassador in Ankara Francis Ricciardone said on Monday his country supported its ally Turkey and its democracy, supporting the idea of unity among Turkish citizens through freedom of speech. Ricciardone attended a conference organized by the Aegean Free Zone to mark the United States' 237th independence anniversary. The ambassador said his nation has, since its foundation, celebrated new ideas, no matter how provocative or critical of the status quo. "We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values," Ricciardone quoted late former US President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. "For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." American companies operating in the Aegean Free Zone supported Turkish democracy as much as any Turkish citizen, Ricciardione said. Ricciardone said: "We draw a great deal of courage from the words of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, who said: The rise of ideas cannot be subdued, but only reinforced, by force and coercion. The most effective solution is to counter them with new ideas."