The Difficult Job Awaiting the New American Ambassador

Yesterday the new American ambassador, Francis Ricciardone, took painful first steps in Ankara, with big shoes to fill — all because his confirmation was delayed for five months by Republicans in the Senate. In fact, Ricciardone’s appointment would have been unlikely if Sen. Sam Brownback, who led the opposition, had not withdrawn from the Senate.

The Majority-Minority Balance

What the block in the Senate shows is that this particular diplomatic position in Ankara is the kind that can really put someone in the spotlight. Among Brownback’s complaints were that Ricciardone emerged from his time at the Cairo Embassy (2005-2008) with lackluster accomplishments in the area of human rights, that he did not pay enough attention to dissenters and that he was too friendly with the Mubarak government.

The senator stated that America “must be concerned that the Turkish government is moving away from its secularist roots … and we cannot let [its] desire for a strong bilateral relationship translate into de facto support of the ruling [Democratic] party.” In a separate statement Brownback demanded that Ricciardone reach out and work with Republicans. The obstruction of Ricciardone’s confirmation seems to be an extension of the misgivings toward Turkey as a result of the vote against sanctions on Iran in the United Nations, the deterioration of relations with Israel and the talk of axial dislocation.

Undoubtedly Ricciardone will have to work closely with Turkey’s government in order to defend the interests of the United States. While doing this, however, he will have to take the views of the Republican Party into consideration more so than his predecessor did.

In Charge of the Kurdish Dossier

Ricciardone comes to the position of ambassador with much experience. This is his fourth diplomatic tour in Turkey. His first was in Adana toward the end of the 1970s. The second was at the beginning of the 1990s when he served as head of air traffic control for Iraq for Operation Provide Comfort, providing support for Turkish and American officers at Incirlik Air Base.

During this period his most important job was as the second-in-command at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara from 1995-1999. During this tour of duty, he bore witness to the upheavals in the Turkish coalition government, the events of Feb. 28 and Öcalan’s extradition to Turkey.

At the same time, Ricciardone has much valuable field experience in issues related to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East. His previous appointment was in Kabul. He played a key role as “Special Coordinator” in the organization of an opposition party in Iraq at the beginning of 2000, even before the American invasion. Combined with his experience in Ankara, this makes him a very well informed diplomat when it comes to the Kurdish situation. Considering the increasingly important role that Turkey is playing in the region, the work that he did at the embassy in Egypt could also prove important.

In Addition to the Debate on Direction

In order for Ricciardone to be confirmed last July, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had some interesting discussions about Turkey. At one point in the proceedings, an American diplomat praised Turkey’s strides in development while also pointing out that Turks are demanding further gains in areas like freedom of the press, rule of law and human rights.

It is important to highlight the discussion of the direction that Turkey is going in terms of its regional alliances. During the hearings one senator expressed doubt that Turkey could be a moderate alternative to Iran. Ricciardone responded by telling the committee members that he had never heard “if” come up in the past while discussing Turkey’s alliance with the West. Such a thing would have been considered “beyond any question,” Ricciardone said, adding, “We always thought of Turkey as an example of a Muslim majority country with secular democracy … which is imperfect though as a moderate alternative to Iran.” Ricciardone asserted, “I need to understand it myself, how the country has evolved and changed.”

I wonder if Francis Ricciardone will use the word “if” after what he experiences in Turkey…