Trump congratulates Turkey's Erdogan on 'referendum victory,' breaking with Europe, U.S. State Department
President Trump called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday to congratulate him on "his recent referendum victory," the White House confirmed. A narrow 51 percent of Turks approved a referendum on Sunday that granted Erdogan broad new powers, according to unofficial results, changing Turkey from a parliamentary democracy to an executive presidency, most consequentially giving the president power to appoint judges and prosecutors.
Opponents of the referendum, carried out under a state of emergency in place since an attempted coup in July, are calling for a recount of at least a third of the vote, and election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) say the voting was marred and fell "well short" of democratic norms, in part because opposition to the referendum was almost entirely excluded from Turkish media made for an "uneven playing field." Under the emergency powers, Turkey has arrested some 40,000 Erdogan critics, including a record number of journalists, and fired at least 100,000 more Turks.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner nodded toward Turkey's apparent slide toward authoritarianism on Monday, saying the U.S. expects Turkey's government "to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all its citizens" and supports "Turkey's democratic development, to which commitment to the rule of law and a diverse and free media remain essential." European leaders adopted a similar tone, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel cautioning that the "tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Erdogan, an Islamist who has led Turkey since 2003 as prime minister and then president, hit back at his European critics and what he called a "Crusader mentality in the West" on Monday, telling supporters that the OSCE "should know its place" and he doesn't "care about the opinions of 'Hans' or 'George,'" apparently a stand-in for European critics. "All debates about the constitutional referendum are now over," he said.
Europe is depending on Turkey to stem the northward flow of Syrian immigrants and the U.S. uses Turkey's Incirlik air base to attack Islamic State targets in Syria. "Both the U.S. and EU are in a bind," Michael Werz, a Turkey analyst with the Center for American Progress, tells The Washington Post. "They can either [disagree with] the OSCE findings, or they can say the truth: It was not a free and fair election."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Bankman-Fried gets 25 years for fraud
Speed Read Former "crypto king" Sam Bankman-Fried will report to federal prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'His story should be here'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Not cross buns': the row over recipe revamps
Talking Point New versions of the Easter favourite have sparked controversy but sales are soaring
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
South Korea passes law banning sale and production of dog meat
Speed Read Rare bipartisan support 'highlights changing attitudes' as young people shun centuries-old tradition
By The Week UK Published
-
Out of touch: Daryl Hall obtains restraining order against bandmate John Oates
Speed Read Lawsuit reveals unharmonious relationship between most commercially successful duo in pop history
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published