Answering my own question:
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T HAVE AMBASSADORS IN SAUDI ARABIA OR TURKEYThe Trump administration has yet to nominate ambassadors in 20 countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
[Secretary of State] Pompeo and lawmakers have sparred over who is to blame for the ambassadorial vacancies.
Pompeo places the onus on the Senate, which has yet to confirm more than 50 of Trump's nominees. Lawmakers point out the president still has not nominated ambassadors to key positions across the Middle East and Latin America in particular.
Ronald Neumann, the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, told The Associated Press that failing to have an ambassador to certain countries can make it appear that the U.S. does not care about that diplomatic relationship as much.
"Countries may get grouchy without an ambassador and that may affect relations,” he told the AP. “Without an ambassador, there is a greater chance of misunderstanding and greater chance you aren’t able to persuade them to do something we want.”
