Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., about President Donald Trump’s termination of FBI Director James Comey. courtesy of Getty Images Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be his ambassador to Turkey, whose relationship with the US has been marred by serious disputes on important foreign policy issues in recent years. In a Medium post, Flake said, “I am honored and humbled by President Biden’s trust in me with this ambassadorial nomination.” The former senator stated, “This is a significant role at a critical time for both of our countries.” A senior administration official told NBC News that Biden intended to propose Flake for the position. On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in mid-June, Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met face to face. Both leaders left the bilateral meeting with warm sentiments, but no sign that the two countries were any closer to resolving their differences on a number of topics, notably Ankara’s multibillion-dollar purchase of a Russian surface-to-air missile system. Prior to departing Congress in 2019, Flake, who served more than a decade in the House and a single term in the Senate, had openly fought with then-President Donald Trump. He voted for Biden over Trump in the 2020 election and was expected to be awarded a position in the Democratic Party’s administration. Flake was a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He presently has fellowships at Arizona State University and Brigham Young University, and he is a member of Harvard’s Institute of Politics’ senior advisory group. “Having served in both the House and Senate, I understand and appreciate Congress’ role in US foreign policy, and I look forward to working with you,” Flake said on Medium. “I also recognize the importance of America speaking with one voice. As someone who has lived abroad, I am acutely aware of the vital role that the United States plays around the world. There is no substitute for American leadership in the world “he penned “The Biden Administration upholds the greatest tradition of American foreign policy and diplomacy with this nomination: the philosophy that partisan politics should end at the water’s edge.” “Foreign policy in the United States can and should be nonpartisan. That is also my conviction and devotion “Flake penned an essay. The Senate must vote to confirm his nomination. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement, “I had the pleasure of knowing and working closely with Jeff Flake in various ways throughout his service in the Senate.” “I told him the President had made a fantastic decision.” “Turkey has been an ally of the United States for many decades, and the American people have tremendous regard and affinity for the Turkish people, as well as Turkey’s rich culture and history,” according to Leahy’s statement. “Tensions over security issues and human rights policies have strained our relations with Turkey’s leadership in recent years.” “Jeff is the ideal candidate to work toward a more constructive relationship that benefits both our countries, the region, and the world,” Leahy added. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat who won Flake’s Senate seat after he left Congress, praised Biden’s choice.Flake, 58, isn’t the first Republican to be nominated for an ambassadorship by Biden. Cindy McCain, the widow of Republican presidential nominee and former Senator John McCain, was nominated by the president to serve as the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations World Food Programme last month. Cindy McCain, 67, endorsed Biden over Trump, who was a frequent adversary of John McCain before and after his death in 2018 at the age of 81./n
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