Former Ambassadors John Heffern and Alper Coşkun - The Resurgence & Unity of NATO

Diplomatic Immunity

Season 6, Episode 3. For this season’s theme, we’ll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia’s invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We’ll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed.

For our third episode, Kelly talks with John Heffern and Alper Coşkun, both former ambassadors serving in the U.S. and Turkish governments, respectively.

John Heffern is a former State Department official who retired in 2018 after 36 years in the foreign service, including as deputy chief of mission at the United States mission to NATO in Brussels, and as acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs after postings in Japan, Malaysia, China, and the Ivory Coast, and as US ambassador to Armenia. He joined ISD as a senior state department fellow in 2017.

Alper Coşkun leads the Türkiye and the World project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on Turkish foreign policy. He retired from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs after 32 years, culminating in an appointment as director general for international security affairs from 2016-2019 after postings in Athens, Moscow, the United States, as Deputy permanent representative to NATO, and as ambassador to Azerbaijan. We encourage listeners to check out his regular analyses for CEIP's Türkiye and the World program.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang.

Recorded on November 21, 2023. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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