The US Senate approved Tom Barrak’s candidacy for the post of Ambassador of the United States in Turkey. According to the results of the vote, 60 senators supported the appointment, while 36 opposed.
During the hearing in early April, Barrak emphasized the strategic importance of Turkey as an ally in NATO. “Türkiye is our valuable NATO partner, located at the key intersection of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She made an invaluable contribution to the development of the alliance,” he said in his speech.
Who is Tom Barrak?
77-year-old Tom Barrak was born and raised in the state of California. He graduated from the University of South California, having received a bachelor’s degree, and then – the law faculty of the University of San Diego.
Barrak is a descendant of Lebanese Christian immigrants who moved to the United States from the city of Zahla in 1900. Grow up in the city of Kalver City, a suburbs of Los Angeles, in the family of a groceryman and secretary.
In his youth, Barraq was actively involved in sports, played in Rugby and worked as a lawyer in Saudi Arabia. In the 1980s he served as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs in the Presidential Administration of Ronald Reagan, and was also a neighbor of the head of state in the Rancho-del Siel, California.