Mehmet Sah Yilmaz
03 June 2025•Update: 03 June 2025
ANKARA
US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said Monday that Türkiye has played a "unique" role in talks held in Istanbul aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Türkiye has a traditional cooperation with both Russia and Ukraine which enables them to establish significant dialogue," he said, speaking to Turkish broadcaster NTV.
Barrack said that Türkiye is widely recognized as a key NATO ally, but beyond that role, it has demonstrated significant regional influence, as seen in both Syria and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
He also pointed to the strong relationship between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump, expressing his intention to help further strengthen that partnership.
Barrack also noted that Trump's patience regarding the Russia-Ukraine war is running out.
-US military presence in Syria
Barrack said current US policies on Syria would differ significantly from those pursued over the last century, adding that previous approaches have largely failed.
He attributed many of the region’s ongoing challenges to the efforts of Western powers to manipulate the region for their own interests since World War I.
"I’m not saying this was right or wrong. But take the Balfour Declaration, for example — it was an attempt to create a new and free homeland for the Jewish population. Then came (the) Sykes-Picot (Agreement), where a British and a French official drew artificial borders in a region full of tribes and religious sects," he said.
Barrack pointed out that the Ottoman Empire had a functioning system but emphasized that with the presence of tribes and religious groups, it was impossible to draw artificial borders around them, yet that is exactly what the Sykes-Picot Agreement did.
He said the historical deals and conflicts in the region stemmed from the West’s attempts to shape the East’s future, largely driven by the goal of controlling fossil fuel resources.
Regarding the future of the US military presence in Syria, Barrack said the US has started efforts to integrate the terrorist organization PKK/YPG, which operates under the name "Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)," into the Syrian regime.
He noted that the US military presence in Syria is steadily decreasing, with the number of bases reduced from eight to five, then to three, and is eventually expected to be limited to just one.
Currently, he noted, the SDF is operating under the protection of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) but warned that without strong and mutual cooperation, that support could diminish.
He added that pressure is mounting on all sides to reach an agreement, warning that without strong cooperation, the US role in the region could gradually diminish.
