Germany urges Turkish leaders to rule 'in spirit of national unity'

Angela Merkel's chief spokesperson said Germany would 'continue to closely cooperate with the Turkish government'

BERLIN: Germany on Monday welcomed Turkey's peaceful weekend election won by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party and urged his government to rule "in the spirit of national unity".

Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief spokesman Steffen Seibert praised the peaceful election process and high voter turnout, which he said proved "how deeply the Turkish people are invested in the democratic process".



He vowed Germany would "continue to closely cooperate with the Turkish government" as it faces major challenges, including "the fight against the IS (Islamic State jihadist group), the Kurdish conflict, domestic political polarisation and tackling the impact of the Syria crisis".

Seibert said it was now up to Turkey to face its many challenges "in the spirit of national unity and with a willingness to compromise".



Turkey's long dominant Justice and Development Party scored a stunning election success on Sunday with a vote that returned it to single-party rule after months of political uncertainty.

A German foreign ministry spokeswoman said on election night there had been "positive noises" from Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu which had "raised hopes that the stuttering peace process with the Kurds will perhaps move forward again".



Germany, facing a massive influx of people fleeing the Syrian war and other conflicts, also expected to "continue cooperation with Turkey on the refugee question," she said.