Former US envoy to Baku join board of Turkey's Turcas

Matthew Bryza, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, has joined the board of Turkish company Turcas, 1news reports.

Turcas and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) were part of the Petkim petrochemical complex. SOCAR-Turcas started construction of a new refinery in Turkey to fulfill Petkim’s demand for materials. Construction started in Izmir on October 25.

Bryza left Azerbaijan in late December 2011.

He used to be the assistant secretary of state. President Barack Obama appointed Bryza as the ambassador in December 2010 without need for the Senate’s approval. Democrat Senators Barbara Boxer and Robert Menendez blocked his appointment. They said that the candidate was inappropriate due to his refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANC) said that the problem is that the ambassador’s wife was a Turkish expert for foreign affairs.

Bryza was not reappointed by Armenian lobbyists before January 2012.

Adam Sterling, Bryza’s deputy, is the Charge d’Affaires. He was at the position 7 months ahead of Bryza’s arrival to Baku in February 2011.