Francis Ricciardone '73 has been nominated to fill the position of United States Department of State Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey by President Barack Obama, according to a July 1 White House press release. If Ricciardone is approved by the Senate, he will begin serving in Ankara, Turkey, The Journal of Turkish Weekly reported.
Ricciardone will succeed James Jeffrey, who was nominated to be the new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, according to the press release.
"I am very honored to be nominated for this position," Ricciardone said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "And I've always been very grateful for the education and lifelong friendships I gained at Dartmouth, which directly influenced my choice of career in U.S. Government service abroad."
Ricciardone declined to comment further, citing protocol which calls for presidential nominees to refrain from media interviews until the Senate confirmation vote. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has not yet set a hearing date, according to Ricciardone.
Ricciardone, who was born in Boston and attended Malden Catholic High School, graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth in 1973. Upon graduation, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to teach and study in Italy. He taught in Iran in 1976 before traveling across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, according to the Department of State website. He entered the Foreign Service in 1978.
As a Career Minister in the Foreign Service, Ricciardone has served as deputy ambassador and Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan since 2009. He previously served as ambassador to Egypt, the Philippines and Palau, and led the reorganization of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in 2004 and the Department of State's Task Force in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the press release.
Ricciardone returned to the College on Oct. 3, 2002 to deliver a lecture to students titled "Influencing the Morning After in Iraq," which addressed Middle Eastern politics, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Ricciardone has spent two tours in Turkey, including an assignment as deputy chief of mission and Charge d'Affaires, the press release said. He also served as political advisor to the United States and Turkish commanding generals of Operation Provide Comfort, a military operation run by the United States and several allies to assist Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq following the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
Ricciardone's nomination was announced along with several other key administrative posts within the State Department. Obama praised all the nominees in the press release.
"I am grateful that these impressive individuals have agreed to join my administration," Obama said according to the release. "I am confident they will serve ably in their new roles, and look forward to working with them in the coming months and years."
The White House and the U.S. Department of State could not be reached for comment by press time.
