President Trump called to congratulate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday after a referendum greatly expanding his powers, despite a more circumspect State Department response to Sunday’s vote, which international election observers declared unfair. Trump thanked Erdogan for Turkey’s support of the retaliatory action. The United States is a member of the OSCE. “The United States remains committed to strengthening our bilateral relationship,” he added. But Turkey’s strategic importance means that the referendum, even if voting irregularities are proved, is unlikely to affect U.S. policy.
