US will continue to be a strong ally of Turkey: US Secretary of Defense

ANKARA

AFP photo

The U.S. will continue to support democracy in Turkey, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said on Oct. 21 during his visit to sections of the Turkish Parliament damaged in attacks during the failed July 15 military coup attempt.

“I would like to express my condolences. People fought for democracy and freedom and the whole world, including the U.S., watched the images. The whole world saw the heroes of this horrible incident,” Carter told reporters during his visit to the Turkish capital Ankara. 

“In this context, we will continue to be a strong ally of Turkey. We will continue to support democracy in Turkey,” he added.

The U.S. secretary of defense arrived in Ankara on Oct. 21 for several meetings with Turkish officials on rising tensions between Ankara and Baghdad over the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq. He held meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Defense Minister Fikri Işık.

Following his visit to Turkey, Carter is scheduled to go to the United Arab Emirates for meetings with Emirati leaders.