President Gül meets with US envoy Ricciardone in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Francis Ricciardone’s tenure in Turkey will end in July.

Turkish President Abdullah Gül met with outgoing U.S. ambassador to Ankara Francis Ricciardone on June 20 in Istanbul.

Ricciardone and his wife, Marie Ricciardone, paid a visit to Gül as the U.S. ambassador’s term in Turkey is coming to an end. Gül also met with Huawei CEO Gua Ping and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) chief Helen Clark after his meeting with Ricciardone.

Ricciardone’s tenure in Turkey will end in July. The Obama administration has nominated John Bass, the former ambassador to Georgia and a special assistant to Secretary of State John Kerry, to replace the outgoing envoy as the United States’ envoy to Ankara.

Bass needs the Senate’s approval to be appointed to the Turkey post.

Bass served as U.S. ambassador to Tbilisi from 2009 to 2012. Bass, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, led the Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team from 2008-2009. From 2005 to 2008, Bass served as director of the State Department Operations Center. During his tenure there, Bass led the response to over 25 crises, including coordinating international assistance in response to Hurricane Katrina and orchestrating the largest U.S. government evacuation of American citizens in 60 years.