The level of US-Turkey relations in the sphere of security has not decreased, U.S. President Barack Obama said in an interview with CNN to be broadcast on Sunday.

According to him, Turkey continues to be a strong NATO ally, Reuters reported.

“They are working with us to defeat ISIL and are an important partner on a whole range of security issues in the region,” Obama said.

However, there is no doubt that Turkey is faced with political and civil shocks, and they need time to overcome this.

Obama said that the U.S. emphasizes that they support the Turkish people but as any good friend, they should give “honest feedback” to Turkey if they believe the steps Ankara is taking after the coup jeopardize relations with Washington.