The candidate for the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara has been announced.

Trump announced that he has nominated Tom Barrack, the founder of the investment company Colony Capital, as the new U.S. Ambassador to Ankara.

"A REASONABLE NAME"

In a post on his social media platform Truth, Trump stated, "I am pleased to announce that Tom Barrack will be appointed as our next ambassador to Turkey. Tom has successfully managed a global private equity firm for 30 years. He is recognized as a respected, experienced, and reasonable name among a diverse range of opinion leaders in both politics and business."

Barrack had previously been accused of illegal activities as an agent of influence for the United Arab Emirates and was acquitted of all 9 charges he faced in 2022. In the U.S., ambassador appointments made by the president require Senate approval.

WHO IS TOM BARRACK?

Tom Barrack is known as the founder and former CEO of the private equity firm Colony Capital.

According to Forbes, 77-year-old Barrack, who is the grandson of a Lebanese family that immigrated to Los Angeles, built his fortune by purchasing distressed assets. These assets include approximately $200 million worth of Middle Eastern real estate and $534 million worth of defaulted German real estate loans.

Additionally, Tom Barrack was accused in 2022 of engaging in illegal activities as an agent of influence for the United Arab Emirates but was acquitted of the 9 charges he faced. Most recently, he was nominated by Trump to be appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.