Jeff Flake, a 61-year-old from Arizona and former Republican Senator, has served as the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey for nearly three years. As his term comes to an end, with his last day in office set for September 1st, he shared his insights in an interview with the editors of Politico's "National Security Daily" newsletter.
When asked about President Erdoğan and what advice he would give him, Flake said: "In 2016, during the coup attempt in Turkey, the U.S. was slow to support Erdoğan and the Turkish government. At that time, President Obama did not call Erdoğan, but Putin did, which haunted us for a while. However, two weeks ago, Turkey played a major role in a prisoner exchange (referring to the largest prisoner swap between the West and Russia since the Cold War, which took place in early August). The Turks were responsible for the logistics—seven countries, seven planes arrived in Ankara—and they did an outstanding job. This time, Biden called to thank Erdoğan, but Putin did not. We saw a reversal. There are people with good intentions who understand that Turkey is a necessary partner. In times of peace, Turkey holds an important position, primarily due to its geography. But in times of turmoil, it becomes even more crucial."
Regarding Turkey's recent stance towards Israel and Iran, particularly in light of developments in the Gaza Strip, Flake remarked: "We asked Turkey to help de-escalate tensions with Iran. They don’t have close relations with Iran. They face some of the same issues we all do with Tehran, but obviously, they talk to them more, as well as to the political wing of Hamas. I think Israel feels that Turkey has taken one side too much. However, that said, it’s hard to imagine any long-term solution to the situation in Gaza that doesn't involve regional players like Turkey, either as guarantors or as part of the rebuilding process."
When asked what advice he would give to the next U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Flake said he would urge them "to continue cultivating this relationship (U.S.-Turkey) because Turkey is 'a growing regional power,' the second-largest military within NATO, and 'an indispensable ally' that the U.S. has not always treated as such."
Referring to the pending sale of American F-16s to Turkey, the outgoing ambassador stated that he had worked to convince members of Congress in the U.S. to accept a deal that would balance the sale of F-16s to Turkey with the sale of F-35s to Greece.
