The United States will appoint President Trump’s longtime advisor and current ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, as a special envoy for Syria, according to a person with direct knowledge and a diplomat in Turkey.
Barrack, a private equity executive who chaired Trump’s inaugural committee in 2016, is expected to retain his role as U.S. envoy to Turkey while taking on the Syria portfolio. The appointment follows President Trump’s announcement last week that U.S. sanctions on Syria would be lifted—signaling a shift in Washington’s approach to Damascus.
The move reflects a growing recognition of Turkey’s influence in the region.
Trump met with Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on May 14, encouraging him to normalize relations with Israel. On Tuesday, a U.S.-Turkish meeting focused on Syria took place in Washington, attended by Barrack, according to Turkey’s foreign ministry. Discussions centered on sanctions relief and counterterrorism efforts. Lifting sanctions is expected to boost humanitarian access and facilitate foreign investment as Syria begins reconstruction.
That same day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he was authorizing Turkish embassy staff, including Barrack, to coordinate with local Syrian officials to assess aid needs. “We want to help that government succeed,” Rubio said. “The alternative is full-scale civil war and chaos, which would, of course, destabilize the entire region.”
Barrack joined Rubio for several high-level meetings last week, including one with Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani in Antalya hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The two also met with Turkish and Ukrainian officials ahead of Ukraine’s direct ceasefire negotiations with Russia.
