In a time of shifting global alliances and growing regional tensions, the role of Turkey on the world stage has never been more critical. We hosted an exclusive dialogue featuring two distinguished diplomats — Ambassador Sedat Önal, Turkey’s foremost diplomat, and the Honorable David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute. Together, they explored the evolving role of Turkey’s influence regionally and globally, and the complexities of U.S.-Turkish bilateral relations. This Director’s Office event, held under the Chatham House rule, offered in-depth insights into Turkey's diplomatic, political, and economic strategies amidst an increasingly dynamic geopolitical environment.
It was free and open to the public.
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Agenda
5:00 pm CDT — Introduction
5:05 pm CDT — Armchair Discussion
5:45 pm CDT — Q&A Session
6:05 pm CDT — Adjourn
Participants
Featured Speakers
Ambassador Sedat Önal was appointed as ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the U.S. in April 2024. He previously served as Turkey's permanent representative to the United Nations (2023–24) and as ambassador to Jordan (2012–16). He was also the deputy minister of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2023, having joined the ministry in 1985. He has held a variety of positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and his overseas postings (1991–2009) include Kuwait, Germany, New York, Tehran, and Austria. Ambassador Önal was born in 1963 in Kayseri. He is a graduate of Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Sciences and is fluent in English, married and has a daughter.
The Honorable David M. Satterfield
Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy; Former Ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey