A diplomat with direct knowledge in Turkey stated that the United States will appoint Thomas Barrack, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump and the current US ambassador in Turkey, as a special envoy to Syria.

Reuters news agency reported from the unnamed source today, Wednesday, May 21, that the decision to appoint Barrack comes after Trump’s historic announcement last week lifting US sanctions on Syria.

It also indicates that the US recognizes Turkey’s emergence as a significant regional power influencing Damascus since the ousting of the deposed president, Bashar al-Assad, in December 2024.

The spokesperson for the US State Department did not comment on the decision to appoint Thomas Barrack as a US envoy to Syria and simply stated, “There is no announcement at this time.”

Thomas Barrack serves as the US ambassador to Turkey and is one of Trump’s key advisors during the 2016 presidential campaign.

He is a billionaire and American businessman, a private real estate investor in the United States, and the founder, chairman, and CEO of Colony Capital LLC.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated before the US Senate, “We do not have an embassy in Syria. We operate from Turkey, but we need to help them. We want to assist that government in succeeding because the alternative is total civil war and chaos, which will, of course, destabilize the entire region.”

He added during a Senate hearing that the State Department will allow its employees in Turkey, including the ambassador there, to work with local officials in Syria to identify the types of assistance they need.

Ankara and Washington

On Tuesday, the Turkish-American joint working group on Syria announced that it will elevate cooperation between Ankara and Washington in Syria in order to maintain the unity of Syrian territories.

A few days ago, the Anadolu Agency reported, citing sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, that a meeting will be held in Washington to discuss the priorities of Turkey and the United States in their policies towards Syria, as well as to explore opportunities for cooperation to achieve security and stability in Syria.

On May 13, Trump announced his decision to lift US sanctions imposed on Syria under the deposed regime, after discussing the matter with the Saudi Crown Prince and the Turkish President.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared via his account on the platform “X” that his department is taking steps to ease sanctions with the aim of stabilizing the situation and “helping Syria move towards peace.”