{"record":{"aliases":[],"appointmentIds":["turkey-12549856a48208"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":[],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/sedat-onal-d1233ca75d/","countrySlug":"turkey","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/sedat-onal-d1233ca75d/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Sedat Önal entered the Turkish foreign service in 1989 after graduating from Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Science. His early career included Kuwait, Münster, and New York, followed by service as deputy chief of mission in Tehran and consul general in Vienna. Those assignments preceded increasing responsibility for Middle Eastern affairs in Ankara.","Önal served as ambassador to Jordan from 2012 to 2016 and then held senior regional policy positions before becoming deputy foreign minister in 2018. In April 2022 he and American undersecretary Victoria Nuland led the delegations that launched the bilateral Strategic Mechanism in Ankara. Their discussions covered economic and defense cooperation, counterterrorism, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.","He moved to the United Nations as Türkiye’s permanent representative in 2023 and to Washington the following year. The embassy dates the start of his Washington assignment to 24 April 2024; he presented his credentials to President Joe Biden on 17 June."],"id":"turkey:sedat-onal","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-d1233ca75d523bce99c2.html","name":"Sedat Önal","notes":[],"paragraphSources":[["onal-cv"],["onal-cv","onal-mechanism"],["onal-cv","onal-credentials"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-d1233ca75d523bce99c2.html","relatedEvents":[],"relatedPeople":[],"relationships":[],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-10-28","revision":"c9d2eaab095be9b2","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":null,"id":"onal-cv","locator":"Complete relevant biographical section","publisher":"Embassy of Türkiye in Washington","title":"Ambassador Sedat Önal: biography","type":"official-biography","url":"https://vasington-be.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/Biography"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2022-04-04","id":"onal-mechanism","locator":"Complete relevant biographical section","publisher":"Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs","title":"Türkiye–U.S. joint press release on the Strategic Mechanism","type":"primary-record","url":"https://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-117_-turkiye-abd-stratejik-mekanizmasi-hakkinda-ortak-basin-aciklamasi.en.mfa"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2024-07-05","id":"onal-credentials","locator":"Complete relevant biographical section","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","title":"New Turkish ambassador presents credentials to US president","type":"contemporary-report","url":"https://m.aa.com.tr/en/americas/new-turkish-ambassador-presents-credentials-to-us-president/3266662"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"Accessed 23 October 2026","id":"mission-b992831123a4b5b53466","locator":"Ambassador since April 24, 2024; former Permanent Representative to UN and Deputy Foreign Minister.","publisher":"","title":"Ambassador Sedat Önal biography","type":"Mission record","url":"https://washington-emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/Biography"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"Accessed 23 October 2026","id":"mission-debb30ef5b35a9c3e689","locator":"Sedat Önal remains identified as Ambassador in October 2026.","publisher":"","title":"Embassy announcement October 1, 2026 (current ambassador sidebar)","type":"Mission record","url":"https://washington-emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/ShowAnnouncement/419689"}],"topics":["Middle East diplomacy","United Nations","Türkiye–U.S. Strategic Mechanism"]},"schemaVersion":1}