Jeff Flake, the former U.S. senator from Arizona and current ambassador to Turkey, acknowledged Tuesday he is quitting his post in September. President Joe Biden named a Republican who supported his 2020 campaign to the top job in Turkey, which is a crucial ally for Europe and the Middle East, and a chokepoint for marine traffic into the Black Sea. Turkey was invaded by Russia six weeks before the arrival of Flake. In a social media post Tuesday acknowledging his decision to step down, Flake wrote, "It has been an honor to serve."
Turkey had a presidential election that had to be held before an earthquake killed tens of thousands of people on its southern border. At some ambassador conferences, I look at some of my former colleagues who are in more luxurious posts and think, maybe it would be nice to be on an island. I thought I would be bored in a week.
He was a member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate. The country is often seen as the bridge between the West and the Middle East. During the leadership of Erdogan, Ankara and Washington have had strained relations over Ankara's support for different groups in Syria and its closer ties to Russia. Turkey purchased Russian anti-aircraft systems despite objections from the U.S. The accession to NATO of Finland and Sweden by Ankara could help check potential conflicts with Russia elsewhere in Europe. The U.S. decision to sell Turkey F-16 fighter jets and other military equipment for $20 billion was linked to Turkey getting approval on Sweden.