Germany eyes close cooperation with Turkey after polls

BERLIN

Germany’s government has welcomed the conduct of Turkey’s general election held on Sunday, and expressed readiness to continue close cooperation with Ankara in addressing the refugee crisis and regional security challenges.

Speaking on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert hailed the high voter turnout as an expression of commitment to democracy.

“We welcome that yesterday's parliamentary elections in Turkey [were] carried out in a peaceful way. There has been a very high voter turnout. That underlines the strong commitment of Turkish people to democracy,” Seibert said at a press conference.

He said the German government was ready to assist Turkey in addressing the challenges ahead, which he exemplified as: the effects of the Syrian crisis; the fight against ISIL; the political solution process with the Kurds; and domestic polarization in the country.