Turkish foreign minister receives U.S. ambassador

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu received U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone in Ankara on Monday, Anadolu Agency reported. Ricciardone, who was recently appointed as the new ambassador to Turkey, paid a courtesy visit to Davutoglu.

Turkey-U.S. relations were discussed during the meeting, which was closed to press. Earlier in the day, Ricciardone was also received by Turkish State Minister & Chief Negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis.

Ricciardone presented his letter of credence to Turkish President Abdullah Gul on January 28.

He is a diplomat who knows Turkey closely, carried out various duties in Turkey previously, and knows Turkish language well. Ricciardone has served since 2009 as Deputy Ambassador and Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. He also served as ambassador to Egypt until 2008, and ambassador to the Philippines and concurrently to Palau.

Ambassador Ricciardone began his career in Ankara and Adana, Turkey. He served twice again in Turkey: as political advisor to the U.S. and Turkish commanders of Operation Provide Comfort at Incirlik Air Force Base, and as Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d'Affaires. He led the transition to an organization of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in 2004, and the Department of State's Task Force in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. He also served as former Secretary Albright's Special Representative for the Transition of Iraq from 1999-2001.

The ambassador, who graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1973, knows Italian, French and Arabic in addition to Turkish.


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