Deteriorated under Joe Biden, relations between Türkiye and the United States may have a silver lining in the second Trump era in Washington, D.C., according to statements of President Donald Trump and his new envoy in Ankara, Thomas Barrack.
Within a few hours late Monday, Trump held a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while Barrack enthusiastically talked to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboğa airport on a better future in ties as he arrived to start his tenure.
Trump’s goal is to raise the Turkish-U.S. alliance to the level “it deserves,” Barrack said.
“I come with a really simple message from President Trump … which is his desire to raise the level of the alliance from Türkiye and the United States to the level that it deserves,” Thomas Barrack told reporters.
Barrack’s remarks made the headlines in Turkish media, which hailed how he referred to the country’s name in the way Ankara preferred. The media outlets also described Barrack as “grandson of an Ottoman family.”
Expressing his honor at being in the land of his ancestors, Barrack added that Washington and Ankara have always had “a great relationship,” emphasizing the need for that relationship to become “extraordinary.” Barrack’s grandparents are Lebanese Christians who emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century from Lebanon’s Zahle, which was under Ottoman control back then.
“The president’s goal is to elevate through the people, through both great leaderships of great nations, to find an accelerated peace and prosperity that make Türkiye and the United States greater and the world better,” he added.
Last week, the U.S. Senate confirmed Barrack as ambassador to Türkiye in a 60-36 vote.
Barrack, a longtime friend of Trump and prominent businessperson, will assume the post in Ankara at a time of evolving ties between the two countries. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month, Barrack underscored Türkiye’s strategic importance as a U.S. ally.
Barrack, 78, was born and raised in Southern California. He holds degrees from the University of Southern California and the University of San Diego School of Law. Known for his close ties to Trump, he chaired his 2017 inaugural committee and was a key advisor to his 2016 campaign. He succeeds Ambassador Jeff Flake, who served from January 2022 to September 2024. The position had remained vacant since Flake’s departure.
Around the same time, Erdoğan discussed regional, global issues and bilateral ties in a phone call with Trump, the Directorate of Communications said in a statement on X.
In a phone call, Erdoğan invited Trump to visit Türkiye, the statement by the directorate said, while the U.S. president called the conversation as “productive.”
Erdoğan also said later on Monday that a phone call with Trump was “very productive, comprehensive and sincere.”
“Phone conversation we had today with the President of the United States, my esteemed friend Donald Trump, was very productive, comprehensive and sincere,” he said in a post on X. “During our meeting, we discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, Syria, the Russia-Ukraine war, global trade, the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the U.S., and many other regional and global issues,” he added.
The Turkish leader in the call told Trump that Ankara will continue to take steps to advance cooperation with Washington, especially in the defense industry area. In the call, he also raised the issue of the war-battered Gaza Strip, telling Trump that humanitarian aid should “be delivered to Gaza without interruption.”
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a “grave level,” Erdoğan told Trump, also reiterating “that humanitarian aid must be delivered to Gaza without interruption,” and that Ankara is “ready to cooperate and provide all kinds of support to establish a cease-fire and ensure lasting peace.” Israel halted all aid to the 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza in March and its security Cabinet has approved the expansion of military operations in Gaza, including the “conquest” of the Palestinian territory.
Expressing support for Trump’s approach to ending wars, Erdoğan said Türkiye appreciates efforts made in a negotiation process with Iran and toward the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war. Erdoğan further said Ankara is working to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and ensure its stability, stressing the importance of U.S. efforts to ease sanctions on Syria to contribute to this process. He underlined that a stable Syria would support both regional and global peace. In a post on X, Erdoğan further said: “I conveyed that I would be very pleased to host my dear friend in Türkiye at the earliest opportunity, and he, in turn, invited us to the U.S.”
“I hope to meet with my friend Trump soon, and I hope that our meeting will be beneficial for our countries.”
Trump, separately, said he held a “very good and productive” call with Erdoğan about topics including the war in Ukraine and issues involving Syria and Gaza.
“I just had a very good and productive telephone conversation with the President of Turkey, Recep Erdoğan, concerning many subjects, including the War with Russia/Ukraine, all things Syria, Gaza, and more,” the U.S. president said in a social media post on his Truth Social network.
“The President invited me to go to Turkey at a future date and, likewise, he will be coming to Washington, D.C.,” he added.
Additional details on the visits were not immediately available.
Trump also hailed what he called his “excellent” personal relationship with Erdoğan during his first term, saying the leaders “worked together closely on numerous things,” including the return of Pastor Andrew Brunson.
“In any event, I look forward to working with President Erdoğan on getting the ridiculous, but deadly, War between Russia and Ukraine ended — NOW!” he added.
Trump, since his return to the White House in January, has been pushing Kyiv and Moscow to reach a cease-fire deal. NATO member Türkiye has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbors since the Russian invasion and has hosted talks aimed at ending the war.