The US State Department has said the US administration is committed to working with Turkey and deepening bilateral relations no matter which government is elected on May 14.
Turkey will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday, which many say will be a turning point in the country’s history.
When asked during a recent press briefing at the US State Department how will the election results affect Turkish and American relations, Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson, said,” They won’t.”
“We will continue to work together with whatever government is chosen by the Turkish people, and we’ll [continue] to deepen those relationships, work on a number of areas of cooperation and shared priorities. Türkiye is, of course, an important NATO Ally and has played an integral role in a number of issues that are important to the United States,” he said, recalling the role played by Turkey in the signing of the UN-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2022, which enabled the export of millions of tons of grain, related foodstuffs and fertilizer from three Ukrainian ports, helping lower global food prices from record highs.
Patel made clear that the US does not take sides in elections and that the US administration’s only hope is to see a free and fair election rooted in the democratic process.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is accused by his critics of establishing one-man rule in the country and silencing dissent, is running for re-election on May 14. His main rival is Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the main opposition party and the joint presidential candidate of an opposition alliance.