Trump Calls Erdogan to Congratulate Him Over Election Victory

U.S. President Donald J. Trump called his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him over his victory in the presidential vote on Sunday.

Erdogan and Trump confirmed their commitment to bilateral cooperation on defense and military affairs, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of implementing Manbij roadmap, Anadolu said.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that a call between two leaders was being arranged to “reaffirm our strong bond.”

She said the U.S. also encourages Turkey to take steps to strengthen its democracy and continue progress toward resolving issues between them.

President Erdogan won more than 52 percent of the votes to win the presidential election in the first round on Sunday. With the election result, Turkey officially made a transition to an executive presidential system with little check on the powers of presidential office.