Biden nominates former Republican Senator Jeff Flake as ambassador to Turkey

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Biden met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in June as part of his diplomatic swing across Europe and sought to calm tensions between the two countries in recent years, though Biden angered Turkey earlier this year by officially recognizing the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire. over a century ago.

Flake served as one of many prominent GOP agents for Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign, along with people such as Cindy McCain – the widow of the late Senator John McCain, who served alongside Flake of Arizona until his death in 2018.

Flick and Cindy McCain were among those who were symbolically blamed by the state’s Republican Party for their opposition to former President Donald Trump in the months following the election. Former senators usually enjoy a nice reception from their former colleagues during the installation process, but it is possible that Flick’s criticism of the former president could irritate Republicans — or Trump himself.

Like Flick, the Biden administration has rewarded McCain for its support with her ambassadorial nomination. Last month she was selected to serve as the United States Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies.

Flick chose not to run for re-election in 2018 after he publicly criticized Trump for failing to adhere to conservative ideology, making him a frequent target of the then-president’s plea. Flick served one term in the Senate after representing Arizona in the House of Representatives for more than a decade.

Also on Tuesday, Biden announced plans to nominate Kent Logsdon, a career diplomat, to serve as ambassador to Moldova. Earlier this month, Biden nominated political philosopher Amy Guttmann as ambassador to Germany and also announced his selection to represent the United States in Kosovo and Ghana.

Nahal Tosi contributed to this report.

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