US congratulates Turkish citizens on elections, stresses close cooperation as NATO allies

WASHINGTON

CİHAN Photo

U.S. State Department spokesperson Jeff Rathke has said Washington is looking forward to working with the new Turkish government and parliament following the June 7 elections, emphasizing that the two countries remain strong allies. 

“We congratulate the Turkish people for their participation in yesterday’s [June 7] parliamentary election,” Rathke said during the State Department’s daily press briefing on June 8. 

“The United States looks forward to working with the newly elected parliament and with the future government. As a friend and NATO ally, we are committed to continuing our close political, economic, and security cooperation,” he added. 

The U.S. spokesperson said early results suggested that the elections reflected the will of over 50 million Turkish citizens who exercised their right to vote, and showed the enduring vitality of Turkey’s democracy.

Answering a question as to whether or not U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had called anyone from the Ankara administration, Rathke said Kerry had not made any phone calls to his foreign counterparts over the last 24 hours.

Rathke said he would not make an assessment of Turkish domestic politics or the election’s impact on U.S.-Turkish cooperation on regional issues, simply stressing that the two countries were NATO allies and have a “strong relationship.” 

“We are going to continue working closely with Turkey and with the next government that is formed. The government that is currently in place, led by Prime Minister [Ahmet] Davutoğlu, will remain in a caretaker capacity, as I understand it, until a new government is formed. So we will continue working with Turkey in this interim period, and then also with the new government once it is formed. But we’ll let that process take its course,” he said.