U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday praised the courage of the Turkish people in defending democracy from an attempted coup almost exactly a year ago, although he made no mention of the widespread crackdown that has followed.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of an oil conference in Istanbul, where he received an award recognizing his four decades of work in the industry, Tillerson also said the United States saw Turkey as a partner in its push for greater energy security in the region.
"We're all here in Istanbul at a momentous time. Nearly a year ago, the Turkish people — brave men and women — stood up against coup plotters and defended their democracy," Tillerson said.