Former US ambassador to Turkey appointed as Syria representative

WASHINGTON - Anadolu Agency

Former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey was named U.S. special representative to Syria on Aug. 17.

After being sworn in by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Jeffrey has now been assigned to one of the most important regions in the Middle East.

"Pleased to swear-in Jim Jeffrey as my Representative for Syria Engagement, coordinating policy on all aspects of the conflict in #Syria and our support for a political solution. Ambassador Jeffrey's distinguished diplomatic career makes him an outstanding choice for this role," Pompeo said on Twitter.

A senior Middle East expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Jeffery stressed the importance of Turkish-American relations in a myriad of panels he attended and voiced that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria are essentially the same organization.

The move came as the U.S. also announced it will be redirecting $230 million in funding for Syria’s stabilization elsewhere as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to extricate the U.S. from the conflict in Syria.

Jeffrey previously served as ambassador to Turkey from 2008-2010 and as ambassador to Iraq from 2010-2012.