US ambassador on Turkey-US ties: Let's wait and see

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass did not have much to say yesterday when he met a group of journalists and academics to discuss the presidential election results, which ended in favor of Republican candidate Donald Trump. He underlined that the results have taken many by surprise in the U.S., including those who professionally watch American politics. 

"Our democracy begins and ends with the voters and the American people clearly thought the current government was not meeting their needs. They decided to take a different approach by choosing a non-traditional candidate," Bass said. 

He also had little to say on the future of Turkish-U.S. relations. "I'd say we should wait and see," Bass simply said, stressing that the views and perspectives of people who president-elect Donald Trump will choose to work with will also determine the course of relations. 

Neither Bass nor anybody else has a reliable prediction on how Trump will handle foreign policy, let alone U.S.-Turkey relations. No one knows. It is fair to guess that Trump himself may not even know whether he will be able to put into practice what he said he would during the campaign. 

Bass said they will continue to support the Obama administration in its final months in office and execute the decisions taken by it, while they will also help the transition team prepare to understand the issues and challenges that Washington and its allies are facing. "I think we will see a high degree of consistency in policies," he said in reference to the period until the formal transition of power, which will take place on Jan. 20.

Does that mean military operations planned against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) will continue as planned? The current administration...