Biden and Blinken congratulated Erdogan on his re-election as president of Turkey
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his victory and re-election as president in the second round of elections in Turkey last night before midnight.
- I look forward to continuing to work together as allies in NATO, regarding bilateral issues and general global challenges, the US president wrote on Twitter, not mentioning the recent tensions between Washington and Ankara.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also welcomed Erdogan, calling Turkey a "valued ally and partner in NATO."
- I look forward to continuing our joint work with the government elected by the Turkish people, he wrote on Twitter today.
Blinken also praised Sunday's voter turnout and Turkey's "longstanding democratic traditions."
US-Turkey relations have been strained in recent years, including over Erdogan's crackdown on dissidents, military operations in Syria and close ties between Ankara and Moscow, and even after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Also because of the obstacles that Ankara makes in the process for Sweden's membership in NATO