David Satterfield has officially been sworn in as ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, according to a tweet by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“Delighted to swear in Ambassador David Satterfield as our top diplomat to #Turkey today. Ambassador Satterfield brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job, and we are fortunate to have him representing U.S. interests @USEmbassyTurkey,” Pompeo tweeted out on Wednesday.
Satterfield, who was confirmed by the US Senate in June as the new ambassador to Turkey, arrived in Ankara a month later, according to a statement from the US Embassy in the Turkish capital.
“We’re pleased to announce that U.S. Ambassador-Designate to Turkey, David M. Satterfield, arrived in Ankara today. Welcome to Turkey!” the embassy announced from its Twitter account on Wednesday while also adding a link to Satterfield’s biography.
Satterfield will start work after presenting his credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Satterfield is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and has been acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs since 2017. He also served at US missions in Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon.
John Bass was the last American ambassador in Ankara, serving from 2014 to 2017. Currently the US ambassador to Afghanistan, Bass left Turkey in October 2017.
The post has been empty since then.