. >> i'm larry mandel . i had the pleasure of serving in turkey. the you think our joint work with the turks was largely sfrl successful and if you had to do it again, you'd deploy. >> first of all, it's great to see you. i would be remiss if i didn't say thank you to you and your colleagues in the team for putting up with me for all those repetitive visits. looking back, is always a tempting but dangerous exercise, but i'll try. my personal view is there was no alternative to doing what i would argue people like you, people like me, the ambassador, were all trying to do. that is take the time necessary to encourage and persuade our turkish colleagues to take this journey with us. there are people in this government who completely disagree with me. i don't criticize them. i can understand why people in our government and across the coalition felt regardless of what our turkish brothers may think, we have to do what we have to do. that was not the tack i was talking. it's easy for me to convince myself what i do works, but i do believe it was workin

>> my name is larry mandel. i am a retired foreign service state department. i had the pleasure in serving in turkey to work with general nagata. my question is, looking back on it, do you think our joint work with the turks was logic successful -- largely successful? if you had -- are there things you would employ if you had to do it again? >> it is great to see you. i would be remiss if i didn't say thank you to you and all of your colleagues if i didn't thank you for putting up with me during those visits. back is always a dangerous exercise. i'll try. as i look back on it my personal view is there really was no alternative to doing what i would argue people like you and i, the ambassador, were all trying to do. time necessarye to encourage and persuade out turkish colleagues --our turkish colleagues to take this journey with us. people in this government who completely disagree with me. i don't criticize them. i can understand why people in our government and across the coalition felt regardless of what our turkish brothers may think, we have to do what we