The new Turkish ambassador to the United States, Sedat Önal, presented his credentials to President Joe Biden last month, the Turkish Embassy said Thursday.
During a ceremony at the White House on June 17, the ambassador’s spouse, Figen Önal, accompanied him as well, the embassy said on X.
Previously serving as Türkiye’s permanent representative to the U.N. since early 2023, Önal was appointed to the role with a presidential decree published on April 5.
Önal has been serving in the Turkish Foreign Ministry since 1989 and has worked in many countries including Kuwait, Germany, the U.S., Iran, Austria and Jordan. He served as the deputy foreign minister in 2018-2023.
He is taking over as Turkish-U.S. ties are tested by longstanding issues ranging from Türkiye’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems to U.S. support for the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian offshoot YPG, which occupies chunks of northern Syria close to the Turkish border.
