Ambassador of the United States to Cyprus
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Julie D. Fisher
since February 21, 2023
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderFraser Wilkins
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationAugust 27, 1960
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Nicosia

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Cyprus.

Until 1960 Cyprus had been a colony of the British Empire. On August 16, 1960, Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom. The United States recognized the new nation and established an embassy in Nicosia on August 16, 1960, with L. Douglas Heck as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Diplomatic relations between the United States and Cyprus have been continuous since that time.

One ambassador, Rodger P. Davies, was assassinated by a sniper while at his post in 1974.

The United States does not recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, proclaimed November 15, 1983, by Turkey.

The U.S. Embassy in Cyprus is located in Nicosia.

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Fraser Wilkins – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 27, 1960 September 19, 1960 April 6, 1964
Taylor G. Belcher – Career FSO May 1, 1964 May 11, 1964 June 23, 1969
David H. Popper – Career FSO May 27, 1969 July 18, 1969 May 31, 1973
Robert J. McCloskey – Career FSO May 24, 1973 June 20, 1973 January 14, 1974
Rodger P. Davies – Career FSO May 2, 1974 July 10, 1974 August 19, 1974 Assassinated. Davies and three others were killed by sniper fire, believed to be perpetrated by gunmen from EOKA B, a Greek Cypriot nationalist paramilitary organization.[1][2]
William R. Crawford, Jr. – Career FSO August 23, 1974 August 31, 1974 March 27, 1978
Galen L. Stone – Career FSO March 2, 1978 April 6, 1978 September 30, 1981
Raymond Charles Ewing – Career FSO September 28, 1981 October 30, 1981 August 11, 1984
Richard Wood Boehm – Career FSO August 13, 1984 August 28, 1984 August 15, 1987
Bill K. Perrin[3] – Political appointee April 1, 1988 May 3, 1988 July 21, 1989 The following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: John U. Nix (July 1989–July 1990) and Carolyn Huggins (July 1990–November 1990).
Robert E. Lamb – Career FSO October 30, 1990 November 30, 1990 October 24, 1993
Richard A. Boucher – Career FSO October 8, 1993 November 22, 1993 June 12, 1996
Kenneth C. Brill – Career FSO June 11, 1996 July 11, 1996 July 25, 1999
Donald Keith Bandler – Career FSO July 7, 1999 August 23, 1999 July 18, 2002
Michael Klosson – Career FSO August 8, 2002 August 29, 2002 July 3, 2005
Ronald L. Schlicher – Career FSO November 22, 2005 December 20, 2005 January 5, 2008
Frank C. Urbancic Jr. – Career FSO August 14, 2008 September 9, 2008 July 24, 2011
John M. Koenig – Career FSO August 2, 2012 September 12, 2012 July 26, 2015[4]
Kathleen A. Doherty - Career FSO March 24, 2015[5][6] October 7, 2015[7] January 31, 2019
Judith G. Garber – Career FSO January 10, 2019 March 18, 2019[8] December 22, 2022
Julie D. Fisher – Career FSO December 13, 2022 February 21, 2023 Incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ "Arrest Warrants Are Issued in Slaying of U.S. Diplomat". The Free Lance-Star. August 20, 1974.
  2. ^ August 21, 1974, Cyprus Arrest Warrants Issued for Three in Slaying of U.S. Envoy, The New York Times
  3. ^ Perrin was nominated for the second time by President Reagan on January 27, 1988, an earlier nomination not having been acted upon by the Senate.
  4. ^ "John M. Koenig - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".
  5. ^ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. March 24, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2016 – via National Archives.
  6. ^ "S6354 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 5, 2015" (PDF). U.S. Congress. August 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "CIA World Factbook - Cyprus". Central Intelligence Agency. April 11, 2023.
  8. ^ "Ambassador Garber's Remarks at the Presentation of her Credentials to President Anastasiades". Retrieved March 19, 2019.

See also

References

External links

Ambassadors of the United States to Cyprus
Ambassadors of the United States
Categories