Our bilateral partnership dates back to the Cold War when Turkey served
as an important bulwark against the creeping influence of the Soviet
Union. Time has not diminished Turkey's geostrategic importance. Today
Ankara finds itself at the intersection of several critical challenges:
the instability in Syria and Iraq, the threat of ISIS and other
extremist groups, and the refugee crisis spawned by this regional
upheaval. The United States relies on Turkey and other regional partners to
help coordinate and strengthen our collective response. I was deeply
troubled when renegade military units attempted to overthrow Turkey's
democratically elected government last July.