US Embassy awaits budget approval from Congress

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara has accelerated its plans to move to a new compound, which was delayed due to budget measures after the financial crisis broke out in 2008, sources have told Hürriyet Daily News. The U.S. State Department is currently waiting for budget approval from the Congress.

Victoria Nuland, Spokesperson for the State Department, mentioned the problem at a recent press briefing. “Ankara is one of the posts that is due for a completely new embassy compound in the future. It is one of the posts that will go on the lists if the Department gets the money that we are looking for from the Congress for security,” Nuland said on Feb. 1.

“We’re only able to build three new embassies a year. If we are fully funded, as we are requesting, that will allow us to put 10 a year on the rebuilding list. Ankara would be one that would benefit quickly,” she added.

The embassy officials are in contact with the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Undersecretariat of the Treasury to find an appropriate district for the compound.

The current embassy was built in the 1950s and later upgraded. The Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and the U.S. Embassy are working to find a proper location in terms of security, accessibility and capacity.