US envoy to Türkiye steps down from post and foreign service

Eric Edelman, the US ambassador in Ankara, has submitted his resignation to President George W. Bush and will depart Türkiye at the end of June. An embassy official described the move as a personal choice unrelated to the state of bilateral ties.

Edelman had recently drawn fire for signaling displeasure over a planned presidential visit to Syria, with some Turkish critics calling for him to be expelled. He has not yet decided whether to join another government agency or move to the private sector.

Relations between Washington and Ankara have been cool since the Turkish parliament blocked US troop access before the 2003 Iraq invasion. American officials have also expressed concern about growing anti-US sentiment in Türkiye.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in March 2005, in its own words.