Turkey's US envoy congratulates Biden on inauguration

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkey's US ambassador congratulated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their inauguration Wednesday.

"Congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris on the assumption of their duties," Serdar Kilic said on Twitter. "I hope this new administration will show the wisdom to strengthen relations with US’s long term allies, while building new alliences [sic], to better serve regional and int. peace and security."

Biden and Harris took the oaths of office in a heavily-guarded but sparsely attended ceremony at the US Capitol.

Security for the ceremony was markedly increased with 25,000 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. to secure the area after former President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to thwart a constitutionally-mandated procedure before Biden assumed office.

Trump departed the White House for the state of Florida, opting to break with a tradition that embodies the US's peaceful transfer of power by not participating in the inaugural events.