WASHINGTON BRIEFING: PRO-TURKEY MEMBER OF CONGRESS RESIGNS TO DEAL WITH MIDDLE EAST PEACE
by Emil Sanamyan
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Saturday October 17, 2009
Washington – Rep. Robert Wexler (D.-Fla.), a key supporter of Turkey
in Congress, said he will resign his seat in January, a year before
completing his seventh term in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Wexler, who is also known as a strong advocate of Israel, said in
an October 14 statement that he will instead become president of the
little-known Center for Middle East Peace. The center was founded by
Slim-Fast diet foods magnate S. Daniel Abraham in 1989.
During last year’s presidential campaign, Mr. Wexler was an early
and active supporter of Barack Obama’s campaign. Commentators have
speculated he may play a role in the administration’s efforts to
address the Arab-Israeli conflict or that his resignation may be
financially motivated. Mr. Wexler denied he would take a lobbying job.
A senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Wexler is
the founding co-chair of the Turkey Caucus in 2001 (which counted 94
members as of last month), has made at least eight trips to Turkey, and
takes pride in close relationships he developed with leaders in Ankara.
"My wife jokes I could run for Prime Minister of Turkey," he wrote in
his book Fire-breathing Liberal, published last year. His resignation
statement made no mention of Turkey, however.