Statement of the Ambassador-Designate to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Statement before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Ross Wilson
Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Turkey

November 9, 2005

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am honored to appear before you today as President Bush’s nominee to serve as ambassador to the Republic of Turkey.  Some of America’s most distinguished diplomats have headed the U.S. mission in Turkey, and I am humbled by the confidence that the President and Secretary Rice have shown in proposing me for this post.  If confirmed, I look forward to working with you and your colleagues and to getting your thoughts on how we can best advance American interests in this complicated part of the world.

My family and I are excited about the prospect of representing the United States in Turkey, and I am very grateful that my wife and children are prepared to take on this challenge with me.  Twenty-six years in the Foreign Service have taken me to over sixty countries, and I have had the opportunity to represent the United States – and appreciate what it means to be an American – behind the Iron Curtain in the capitals of the USSR and Czechoslovakia, as well as in newly independent Azerbaijan and in Australia.  As ambassador, I led our embassy in Baku and represented the United States in multilateral trade negotiations while at USTR, and before that in the late 1990s I managed the State Department’s offices for the states of the former Soviet Union.  I learned a lot about the importance of sound policy and effective implementation while working as Deputy Executive Secretary of the State Department under Secretaries Baker, Eagleburger, and Christopher and as Chief of Staff for much of this year to Deputy Secretary Robert Zoellick.  This diverse experience has prepared me well, and I am honored that Secretary Rice, whom I have known since 1990, chose to recommend me for this position.

Turkey is a fascinating country that has long been at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy interests.  Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the leaders who followed him have built a remarkably successful country.  It is unique in the region as a large, modernizing democracy that values political pluralism, compromise and tolerance.  The citizens of Turkey have achieved a large measure of prosperity and stability, and they have contributed to regional and global peace and security for over 50 years as fellow NATO allies.  Today, Turkish contingents are part of multinational forces in Kosovo, Bosnia, the Mediterranean and Afghanistan, where Turkey has twice served as commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Turkey has long been a voice for Middle East peace and reconciliation, and its cooperative relations with Israel give it credibility and insight.  Turkey is also working with others to promote democratic values in the broader Middle East and North Africa and globally.  Its experiences and perspectives are ones that other countries’ leaders can draw upon as they develop their own strategies for economic prosperity and democratic progress.

If I am confirmed as ambassador, my overall goal will be to strengthen and modernize the U.S.-Turkish partnership as a force for peace, prosperity and democracy in the region and around the world.  Nothing is inevitable about our relationship, as previous difficulties have demonstrated, and work to nurture our ties, communicate effectively and find common ways to pursue mutual interests will be particularly important in coming years.  The President, Secretary Rice, National Security Advisor Hadley, and U.S. Forces in Europe Commander General Jones have all invested recently in strengthening U.S.-Turkish dialogue and practical cooperation.  We need to continue this work.

We also need to strengthen our engagement in the non-diplomatic arena, including through business, civil society, and academic ties.  More students come from Turkey to study at U.S. universities than from anywhere in Europe, and Turkey’s Fulbright program is one of the largest in the world.  Such exchanges will strengthen and renew our partnership in the years to come.  Mr. Chairman, visits by you and your colleagues to Turkey will also reinforce and diversify our dialogue.  If I am confirmed for this position, I will personally try to make sure that your visits are productive and interesting.

The most important recent event in the development of liberty and freedom in Turkey was last month’s historic agreement to begin negotiations on accession to the European Union.  This decision reflected the common history that Turkey and other European countries share and a determination to finish building a Europe that is whole and free.  It was a triumph for Turkey’s democratic and modernizing vision.

Prime Minister Erdogan and his government deserve credit for undertaking reforms in various areas that the EU sought as a condition of initiating accession talks.  These changes, as they are fully implemented, will strengthen democratic institutions, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including minority rights and religious freedom – all matters of great interest to the United States and the subject of U.S. diplomacy in Turkey over many years.  We supported these reforms, and Turkey’s bid to begin EU accession negotiations, on that basis.  Now Turkey faces an even harder task of more thoroughgoing reform in these and other areas as it more fully embraces European standards.  Neither the negotiations, which are expected to last many years, nor the process of change will be easy.  Recognizing that we are not a party to the talks, it behooves us again to be supportive.  Doing so will complement our own diplomacy, to which I will attach great importance if confirmed as ambassador, aimed at strengthening the democracy upon which Turkey’s success and competitiveness will in large measure depend.

Turkey is a crossroads of civilizations where history has been played out for centuries.  On its borders lie Iraq, Iran, Syria and the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and the Balkans and Southeastern Europe.  In this fractious and sometimes dangerous part of the world from which the fundamental challenges of our generation emanate, America’s success will be greatly influenced by our effectiveness in dealing with Turkey.

Mr. Chairman, this nation’s most pressing foreign policy challenge today is Iraq, and the importance of Turkey’s role cannot be overstated.  Its stake in Iraq’s success is at least as great as our own.  Despite our differences before the start of the war, Ankara shares our interest in a secure, stable, unified and democratic Iraq that has a growing economy and contributes positively to regional and global security.  To advance those aims, Turkey has helped catalyze international support for the democratically-elected government of Iraq.  It helped train Iraqi political parties – Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish – in the mechanics of democracy and constitution drafting, and Turkey is also training Iraqi diplomats and security personnel as part of the NATO Training Mission.  Turkish officials have engaged with a wide range of Iraqis, particularly the Sunnis, to urge them to join in the democratic process.  It has been a good neighbor on trade, electricity, and water.  In three visits to Iraq this year, I was struck by the determination of its new leaders to succeed and their interest in cooperating with Turkey, Jordan and other neighbors toward that end.  Reflecting that fact, Prime Minister Jafari made Ankara the first foreign capital he visited after taking office in April.  As we look to 2006 and beyond, Turkey’s engagement in Iraq’s success will become even more important, and this will be a key focus of my work if I am confirmed as ambassador.

For Turkey, a particularly important part of the Iraq scene is the problem of PKK terrorists in the northern part of that country.  PKK terrorism represents a serious threat to Turkey, as well as to Iraq and others.  We have initiated new efforts with Turkey, Iraq and other European partners to address PKK terrorism, including its financing and support networks in Europe and elsewhere.  Eliminating the PKK threat is an important part of the Global War on Terrorism.

Elsewhere in the region, Ankara is concerned about the regional and global implications of Syria’s and Iran’s behavior, as well as the possible impact of developments there on Turkey itself.  In terms of outcomes, I expect that Turkey wants the same things we want:  an Iran and Syria that respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors, contribute to regional peace and harmony, and rejoin the international economy in ways that will add to prosperity and security in the region.  Turkey will need to be fully engaged in the international community’s efforts to deal with the problems that these two countries present for global peace and security.  Doing so is in Turkey’s interest and will support long-term stability in the region.

This Committee has given a lot of attention over the years to Cyprus, for very good reasons.  Here the United States and Turkey share the same goal:  to see Cyprus reunified through an agreement acceptable to majorities on both sides of the island.  We are encouraging the parties to reengage in meaningful negotiations under UN auspices to achieve such a settlement, and we believe that the Annan Plan remains the best basis for reengagement.  If confirmed, I look forward to supporting U.S. efforts on Cyprus and to working closely with Ron Schlicher, who is here today as the President’s nominee as ambassador to that country.

Turkey has had a longstanding and active diplomacy in the Caucasus and Central Asia.  I am proud of my part in the many years of successful U.S. diplomacy that helped secure the development of Caspian Basin energy and the construction of pipeline infrastructure to bring those resources to international markets.  We accomplished this, among other things, by working intensively with Turkey.  If confirmed as Ambassador, I want to see what further we can do to advance an inclusive and energetic Turkish-American approach to the region on behalf of modernization, openness, and democratic values.  On a matter that I know is of interest to many Members of Congress, it is very much in America’s interest to encourage an open and honest dialogue about the events that took place in Eastern Anatolia in the last years of the Ottoman Empire, including with regard to the ethnic Armenian population.  If confirmed, I will continue our longstanding efforts to encourage Turkish-Armenian dialogue and reconciliation.

I hope, if confirmed, to give special attention to the economic dimension of our relations.  Turkey’s is one of the largest rapidly growing economies in Europe.  Hundreds of American businesses work in the Turkish market because they appreciate the opportunities for success in and with that country.  Supporting them, improving the broader business climate, and addressing intellectual property rights and other trade issues will complement the modernizing partnership that our two countries need to develop.  It will also complement the Erdogan government’s own substantial success in achieving sustained growth, job creation, and lower inflation through effective stabilization policies and reform.

Mr. Chairman, the stewardship of the American community in Turkey would be a key part of my responsibilities in Turkey.  American citizens have a right to expect efficient and effective services from their representatives overseas.  And the protection and welfare of the official American community and our facilities overseas is obviously critical.  If confirmed for this post, nothing will be more important to me than leading our mission and its personnel in ways that ensure all of us work effectively to protect and advance U.S. interests.

Mr. Chairman, these are only a few of the many items that would be on my agenda in Turkey.  If confirmed as ambassador, I hope I can count on the help and advice of you and your colleagues, and I look forward to working with you.  Thank you.