U.S. says respects Turkish vote results, urges Erdogan to strengthen democracy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Monday it respected the decision of Turkish voters and looked forward to a constructive ties with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan following his weekend election victory, but urged him to strengthen his country's democracy. "We respect the decision of Turkish voters and look forward to a constructive relationship with President Erdogan as we jointly confront common challenges," said a State Department spokeswoman who declined to be identified by name. "We encourage all of Turkey’s elected representatives, including President Erdogan, to represent the diverse views of all of Turkey’s citizens and to strengthen Turkey’s democracy." (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed, editing by G Crosse)