Statements by U.S. Officials

Secretary Rice on Turkey’s Presidential Election

May 1, 2007

En Route to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Secretary Rice Answers a Question on Turkey’s Presidential Election

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, the European Union has warned the Turkish military not to intervene in the current dispute over the choice of a new president for Turkey. Does the U.S. feel the same way that the Europeans do on this?

SECRETARY RICE: The United States fully supports Turkish democracy and its constitutional processes, and that means that the election, the electoral system and the results of the electoral system and the results of the constitutional process have to be upheld. Yes. The answer is yes, the U.S. would be in a similar position.

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