While expressing concerns about recent developments in Turkey, the U.S. said Friday it would continue to voice strong support for its ally and that country’s democracy.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. would not pin Turkey's democracy and the detainment of a pair of opposition leaders and deputies from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to Ankara's membership in NATO.
"And yes, one of the guiding principles of it [NATO] is a devotion to democratic ideals and Turkey's still a democracy and Turkey's still a member of the alliance," he said.
Kirby's comments came hours after HDP co-chairs, Figen Yuksekdag and Selahattin Demirtas and, 13 deputies were remanded in custody Friday for failing to answer summonses linked to a counter-terrorism investigation.
The PKK staged a bomb attack on a police station in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir just hours after the detentions. Nine people, including two police officers were martyred in the attack.