Luncheon with
Ambassador Frank G. Wisner,
US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (F)
May 24, 2016

On May 24, 2016, Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (F) and Undersecretary of State for International Security Affairs (F), addressed GRF members and a group of GRF Community members at a luncheon held at the Divan Istanbul Hotel. Ambassador Wisner began his speech with the observation that there are currently a multitude of difficulties faced by the US including terrorism, chaos in the Middle East, the crisis in Ukraine and challenges to US influence from Russia and China, and all of these come at a time when American power is being put into question. He then assessed the US-Turkey relationship within this context, and elaborated on the areas in which the cooperation of the two is crucial.  In the final part of his speech, Ambassador Wisner focused on the challenges in the Middle East, stressing that the US must show involvement and commitment in the region, and do so with different strategies tailored to the specific needs of each country. After his presentation, Ambassador Wisner received a wide range of questions from the participants.

Please click for the full text of Ambassador Wisner’s speech.