President Joe Biden tapped former Sen. Jeff Flake to be U.S. ambassador to Turkey, the Arizona Republican announced on Tuesday.

“Given the strategic importance of the United States’ relationship with our long-time NATO Ally, the Republic of Turkey, I am honored and humbled by the trust President Biden has placed in me with this ambassadorial nomination,” Flake first revealed in a post on the blog site Medium. “This is a pivotal post at an important time for both of our countries.”