From Hurriyet Daily News:  A major reshuffle of Turkey’s most important diplomatic posts has taken effect with two former ambassadors to Japan, Serdar Kılıç and Abdurrahman Bilgiç, being posted as Turkey’s envoys to the United States and the United Kingdom respectively.

Bilgiç, a career diplomat, had been serving as the deputy undersecretary responsible of external relations at the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) since 2011. Bilgiç moved to MİT from Tokyo where he was serving as Turkey’s ambassador. Bilgiç will replace Ambassador Ünal Çeviköz, one of the most experienced diplomats of the Foreign Ministry. . . .

Turkey’s current ambassador to Tokyo, Serdar Kılıç, will be posted to Washington D.C., replacing Ambassador Namık Tan who has been representing Turkey in the U.S. since 2010. Tan is well-known for his expertise in Turkish-American relations and in public diplomacy, as he had served as the ministry’s spokesperson for years.

Before his appointment to Tokyo, Kılıç served as the secretary-general of the National Security Council (MGK) between 2010 and 2012. But his background also includes expertise on NATO issues, an important element of Turkish-American cooperation. Another important fact about Kılıç is that he is the uncle of Çağatay Kılıç, Turkey’s newly appointed Sports and Youth Minister.

From Anadolu Agency:  Turkey’s diplomatic envoys in twelve posts have been changed according to new decree announced today. . . .

Other newly appointed ambassadors are as follows . . .

Mehmet Tugrul Gucuk ambassador to Bern, Switzerland

Hakki Akil ambassador to Paris, France

Aydan Yamancan ambassador to Vilnius , Lithuania

Ahmet Necati Bigali ambassador to Prague, Czech Republic

From Turkish Embassy in Tokyo:  Excerpts from biography of Ambassador Serdar Kılıç.

11/1993-11/1997 First Secretary at the Permanent Delegation to NATO

11/1997-09/1999 Director, Deputy Head of Department for NATO and the WEU in the Department of Defense Affairs Division

09/1999-10/2003  Counsellor at the Permanent Delegation to NATO

10/2003-01/2005 Head of Department in the Department of Balkan Countries

01/2005-03/2008 Assistant General Manager & Acting Deputy Minister- General for NATO and Euro-Atlantic Security

03/2008-04-2010  Ambassador to Lebanon

04/2010-04/2012 National Security Council Secretary General, Ambassador

04/2012- Ambassador to Japan 

(Google Translation)

Image: Turkey's new envoy to the US, Ambassador Serdar Kılıç (photo: Turkish Foreign Ministry)