President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack and U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa in Ankara, as diplomatic contacts between Türkiye and the United States intensify over regional developments.
Erdoğan met Barrack, Issa and the congressman's wife at the Presidential Complex, according to Turkish officials.
Following the meeting, Barrack said he was “honored” to meet President Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex and hailed the strength of ties between the two NATO allies.
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence and the two countries approach a century of diplomatic relations, Barrack said the Türkiye-U.S. alliance “has never been stronger.”
He said the two countries share deep ties as NATO allies, economic partners and longstanding friends, adding that the talks with Erdoğan reaffirmed their commitment to regional security, economic cooperation and the enduring bilateral partnership.
The talks came a day after Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Barrack and Issa in Ankara. The Foreign Ministry did not disclose details of their discussions, which took place as Ankara and Washington maintain close diplomatic engagement on regional issues, particularly developments in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
