Elizabeth Trudeau

U.S. President Barack Obama raised April 1 criticism over press freedom in Turkey, saying that he had expressed these sentiments directly to President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an.

"It's no secret that there are some trends within Turkey that I have been troubled with," Obama said, when asked whether he considers the Turkish leader an authoritarian.

U.S. and Turkish evidence show that a Russian military jet violated Turkish air space before it was shot down last week, but it is important now that Moscow and Ankara work to de-escalate the situation, the U.S. State Department said on Nov. 30. 

The United States continues to have concerns about media freedoms in Turkey, State Department Spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau has said regarding the results of the Nov. 1 snap elections, while urging the country to "uphold universal democratic values."