New US ambassador to Turkey John Bass arrives in Ankara
ISTANBUL. KAZINFORM Career diplomat John Bass, who was sworn in as the new ambassador to Turkey on Oct. 7 with a ceremony at the US State Department, arrived in the Turkish capital on Saturday.
Bass made his first statement to the members of the Turkish press who welcomed him at Ankara's Esenboğa Airport. "Turkey and the US are good friends and strategic partners. I am looking forward to staying with you as a guest and learning many things from you," Bass said in Turkish. "I visited Turkey many times and loved it. I am very happy that I will live here," he added. The US Senate confirmed Bass as the ambassador to Turkey on Sept. 17, Today's Zaman reports. A career member of the US Foreign Service, Bass served as the ambassador to Georgia. He has been the executive secretary of the Department of State since 2012. He previously headed the Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team and served as director of the US State Department Operations Center from 2005 to 2008. He also served as special advisor to US Vice President Dick Cheney from 2004 to 2005 on Europe and Eurasia.