US President Joe Biden plans to nominate former Republican Senator Jeff Flake as ambassador to Turkey, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Flake was a member of congress for 18 years, representing Arizona in the US Senate and the US House of Representatives.
The Senate still needs to approve the appointment.
Flake was "honored and humbled" by the nomination, he said in a statement.
"If confirmed by the Senate, I will be pleased to join a strong, experienced and capable team representing US interests abroad," he said.
"I have a deep appreciation for the indispensable role that the United States plays around the world. There is no substitute for US leadership."
Relations between the US and Turkey have been tense recently.
Under Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, which Turkey bought despite opposition from the US and NATO.
From Washington's point of view, the use of the system endangers the safety of US soldiers and American military technology.
Because of the arms deal with Moscow, the US excluded Turkey from the programme of the new F-35 fighter jets, among other things.
However, Turkey is an important partner for the US military, in part because of the strategically important Incirlik air base in the south of the country.
