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Oct 5 2014
Turkey's Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Serdar Kılıç?
In January 2014, the government of Turkey announced that Serdar
Kılıç, a longtime member of the country's foreign ministry, was to be
the next ambassador to the United States, although he did not arrive
in Washington until April.
Kılıç was born March 28, 1958, in Samsun, a city in north-central
Turkey on the Black Sea. He graduated from Ankara University's
political sciences department in 1980.
Kılıç didn't join the Foreign Ministry right away. His first
professional job was in 1977 with Turkey's Ministry of Tourism and
Culture. In 1982, he took a position in the private sector as a
director for EkÅ?ioÄ?lu Holding, a construction company.
Kılıç joined the Foreign Ministry in 1984 and was assigned to the
Eastern Europe and Asia Department. His first overseas posting came in
1987 when he was named third secretary in Turkey's embassy in Kuwait.
Kılıç landed his first U.S. assignment in 1989 as assistant consul
general in Los Angeles. He returned home in 1992 as second secretary
and later first secretary in the ministry's Gulf and Muslim Countries
Department.
In 1993, Kılıç began a fairly long period dealing with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), initially as first secretary in
Turkey's delegation to NATO. He returned to Ankara in 1997 as chief of
section in the ministry's Deputy General Directorate of NATO and
Euro-Atlantic Security and Defense Affairs. In 1999, Kılıç was back in
Turkey's NATO delegation as a counselor.
Kılıç returned to Turkey in 2003 as head of department for the Balkans
and Central Europe desk. He was named deputy director general of NATO
and Euro-Atlantic Security and Defense Affairs in 2006.
Kılıç's first ambassadorial post came in 2008 when he was named envoy
to Lebanon. While there, he worked to increase awareness of Lebanon's
ethnic Turkish population. He was brought home in 2010 to be secretary
general of MGK, Turkey's National Security Council. He was sent to
Tokyo as ambassador in 2012, a post he held until being named to
Washington.
Since coming to the United States, Kılıç has had to deal with various
groups' recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 100 years ago, in
which the Ottoman government killed about 1.5 million ethnic
Armenians. Turkey has long fought the use of the word `genocide' for
the deaths.
Another confrontation came when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an was asked to return a peace award given him in 2004 by the
American Jewish Congress. The request came after ErdoÄ?an referred to
Israel's attacks on Gaza in the summer of 2014 as genocide. He told
supporters `They kill women so that they will not give birth to
Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won't grow up; they kill
men so they can't defend their country.' Kılıç acted as an
intermediary in the dispute, telling the organization that ErdoÄ?an
would return the award.
Kılıç is married and has one son. He is the uncle of ÇaÄ?atay Kılıç,
Turkey's Sports and Youth Minister.
http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/turkeys-ambassador-to-the-united-states-who-is-serdar-k%C4%B1l%C4%B1c-141005?news=854422
Oct 5 2014
Turkey's Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Serdar Kılıç?
In January 2014, the government of Turkey announced that Serdar
Kılıç, a longtime member of the country's foreign ministry, was to be
the next ambassador to the United States, although he did not arrive
in Washington until April.
Kılıç was born March 28, 1958, in Samsun, a city in north-central
Turkey on the Black Sea. He graduated from Ankara University's
political sciences department in 1980.
Kılıç didn't join the Foreign Ministry right away. His first
professional job was in 1977 with Turkey's Ministry of Tourism and
Culture. In 1982, he took a position in the private sector as a
director for EkÅ?ioÄ?lu Holding, a construction company.
Kılıç joined the Foreign Ministry in 1984 and was assigned to the
Eastern Europe and Asia Department. His first overseas posting came in
1987 when he was named third secretary in Turkey's embassy in Kuwait.
Kılıç landed his first U.S. assignment in 1989 as assistant consul
general in Los Angeles. He returned home in 1992 as second secretary
and later first secretary in the ministry's Gulf and Muslim Countries
Department.
In 1993, Kılıç began a fairly long period dealing with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), initially as first secretary in
Turkey's delegation to NATO. He returned to Ankara in 1997 as chief of
section in the ministry's Deputy General Directorate of NATO and
Euro-Atlantic Security and Defense Affairs. In 1999, Kılıç was back in
Turkey's NATO delegation as a counselor.
Kılıç returned to Turkey in 2003 as head of department for the Balkans
and Central Europe desk. He was named deputy director general of NATO
and Euro-Atlantic Security and Defense Affairs in 2006.
Kılıç's first ambassadorial post came in 2008 when he was named envoy
to Lebanon. While there, he worked to increase awareness of Lebanon's
ethnic Turkish population. He was brought home in 2010 to be secretary
general of MGK, Turkey's National Security Council. He was sent to
Tokyo as ambassador in 2012, a post he held until being named to
Washington.
Since coming to the United States, Kılıç has had to deal with various
groups' recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 100 years ago, in
which the Ottoman government killed about 1.5 million ethnic
Armenians. Turkey has long fought the use of the word `genocide' for
the deaths.
Another confrontation came when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an was asked to return a peace award given him in 2004 by the
American Jewish Congress. The request came after ErdoÄ?an referred to
Israel's attacks on Gaza in the summer of 2014 as genocide. He told
supporters `They kill women so that they will not give birth to
Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won't grow up; they kill
men so they can't defend their country.' Kılıç acted as an
intermediary in the dispute, telling the organization that ErdoÄ?an
would return the award.
Kılıç is married and has one son. He is the uncle of ÇaÄ?atay Kılıç,
Turkey's Sports and Youth Minister.
http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/turkeys-ambassador-to-the-united-states-who-is-serdar-k%C4%B1l%C4%B1c-141005?news=854422