Trump congratulates Erdogan on election victory

US President Donald Trump congratulated his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his success in Sunday’s presidential and parliamentary elections in a phone call, Turkey’s presidential press office said Tuesday.

Erdogan and Trump confirmed their commitment to bilateral cooperation in defense and military affairs, sources said.

Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential poll with 52.5 percent of the vote, while his main rival, Muharrem Ince, garnered 30.6 percent.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of executing the roadmap for the northern Syrian city of Manbij and continuation of the joint fight against terrorism.

Read: The search is on for an Arab Erdogan

The Manbij roadmap was announced after a June 4 meeting in Washington between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from Manbij and on stability in the region.

The White House later confirmed that Trump offered congratulations to Erdogan, saying that during the telephone call, Trump also reaffirmed “the strong bonds between the United States and Turkey as NATO Allies and strategic partners”.

“President Trump and President Erdogan recommitted to efforts to resolve issues in the bilateral relationship and to increase cooperation in addressing shared strategic challenges,” a National Security Council spokesman said in a statement.

Read: Erdogan wins sweeping new powers after Turkish election victory