The U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, was received by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the capital Ankara, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, according to the ministry, without providing details on the agenda or the issues discussed. A photograph from the meeting was later shared with the media.
The meeting is expected to focus on regional issues, including the developments in Syria, the March deal between Damascus and the YPG terrorist group, the F-35 fighter jet program and the cease-fire agreement in Gaza, which took effect on Oct. 10 under U.S. President Donald Trump's plan.
Last week, Barrack stated that Türkiye must forgo operating or retaining the Russian S-400 air defense system to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program in a post shared on his X account, emphasizing that discussions between Washington and Ankara are ongoing.
Türkiye was removed from the U.S.-led multinational program building and buying the F-35 jets in 2019, and Washington imposed Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions following its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.
On the other hand, under the March deal, the YPG forces would merge with the new Syrian national army. The agreement, which is supposed to be implemented by the end of the year, would also bring all border crossings with Iraq and Türkiye, as well as airports and oil fields in the northeast, under the central government’s control.
Detention centers housing thousands of Daesh members, now guarded by the YPG terrorist group, would also come under government control.
Previously, Barrack also remarked in his statement in June 2025, “The number of our military bases in Syria has also decreased. It dropped from eight to five, then to three, and will eventually fall to one.”
