"I want to thank General Akar for the generous offer to come and visit Turkey, our NATO Ally.  He and I have had many positive conversations and I deeply value our relationship. 

Let me also express our condolences to the families of those killed in terror attacks on Saturday.  Our hearts go out to them and to all of those in Turkey who have suffered so much from terrorism and violence in these past few months. 

Both NATO and the United States count on the courage and bravery of the Turkish people. We are grateful for the sacrifices made by their service members, particularly in the fight against Da’esh.

And Turkey can count on NATO and the United States.  The Alliance stands shoulder to shoulder with Turkey and is committed to partnering with them to promote security throughout the region. 

Turkey is fundamental to security on our southern flank.  It sits at the cross-roads of the many challenges we face in Europe, from the refugee crisis, to terrorism, to human trafficking.  We are thankful for their leadership and contributions in each of these areas, and for access they have granted us to their bases, which are critical to our operations.

We will continue to build relationships with our Turkish Allies and cooperate closely with Turkey in order to defend against common threats and ensure a Europe that is whole, free and at peace."