Turkey is an indispensable ally, new US envoy says

ANKARA

Turkey is an indispensable ally, anchored in NATO and an important partner in a region in constant flux, the new ambassador of the United States to Ankara said on Jan. 26.

“Our national interest is served when the United States and Turkey work together to confront the very real threats to global peace and security,” U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry Flake said in an article with the title “politics stops at the water’s edge” published on the embassy’s website after he presented credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Jan. 26.

Flake is a former Republican lawmaker who endorsed U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2020 run for the White House. He served in the U.S. Senate from Arizona from 2013 to 2019 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013.

The interests of Turkey and the U.S. extend beyond the political and security realm and they benefit from a close economic partnership, built on balanced trade, investment, innovation, and collaboration, he stated.

Today, Turkey hosts nearly 2,000 U.S. companies, including some of the largest and most recognized brands of the U.S., he said, noting that Turkish companies are enjoying success in the United States, and in 2021, his country was Turkey’s second-largest export market. Cultural, scientific, and educational exchange bind their people together as well, he added.

“I have learned over the years that lasting achievements in foreign policy come when different groups agree on a course of action. As we often say in Washington, “politics stops at the water’s edge.” That’s why I was so gratified that my former colleagues in the United States Senate, Democrats and Republicans alike, unanimously supported my confirmation as Ambassador to such a consequential country,” he said.

Turkey is a country with a rich culture, a deep history, and enormous potential, he said and added, “I wholeheartedly believe that a more secure, prosperous and happier future lies ahead for both the United States and Turkey if our two countries can continue to work closely together. Challenges to our relationship can be addressed in good faith, just as good friends always do.”