Ambassador Tom Barrack@USAMBTurkiye
Statement by Ambassador Thomas J. Barrack, Jr.
On the Historic Visit of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House
This week marks a decisive turning point in the modern history of the Middle East - and in the remarkable transformation of Syria from isolation to partnership.
I had the profound honor of accompanying Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House, where he became the first Syrian Head of State ever to visit since Syria gained its independence in 1946.
President Trump on May 13th indicated he would remove all U.S. sanctions in order to give Syria a chance. In a warm and substantive meeting this week, President Donald J. Trump and President al-Sharaa reaffirmed a shared conviction: that the time has come to replace estrangement with engagement, and to give Syria -and its people- a genuine chance at renewal.
I, together with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary Marco Rubio, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, witnessed in the Oval Office President al-Sharaa’s commitment to President Trump to join the D-ISIS coalition, which stands as a historic framework marking Syria’s transition from a source of terrorism to a counterterrorism partner - a commitment to rebuild, to cooperate, and to contribute to the stability of an entire region.
Damascus will now actively assist us in confronting and dismantling the remnants of ISIS, the IRGC, Hamas, Hizballah, and other terrorist networks, and will stand as a committed partner in the global effort to secure peace.
In a pivotal follow-on trilateral session with Secretary Rubio, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan of Türkiye, and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani of Syria, we mapped the next phase of the U.S.–Turkish–Syrian framework: integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the new Syrian economic, defense and civic structure, redefining Turkish-Syrian-Israeli relations, and advancing the alignment that underpins the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, as well as various Lebanese border issues.
Türkiye’s tireless role deserves special acknowledgment - a testament to the quiet, steadfast diplomacy that builds bridges where walls once stood. The expanded alliance of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye supporting the resurgence of a Syrian nation state for the entire region and all of its tribal, religious and culture constituencies has been a magic elixir.
The Middle East is, by its very nature, a living mosaic: a region woven from countless cultures, faiths, tribes, and traditions. Within it, Syria stands as a mosaic within that mosaic, a land where diverse peoples and religions have for centuries shared the same soil, suffered the same storms, and now seek the same peace. In the delicate interplay of these layers lies both the challenge and the promise of the region’s renewal.
President Trump’s leadership is forging a realignment built on “security first, prosperity next” - a future defined not by the shadows and horrors of the past, but by the promise and hopes of a new and redefined future. That former adversaries can become ardent allies is not new to history or to this region; what is new - and extraordinary - is that it is being achieved by the regional nations themselves rather than Western mandates and dictates. The path will not be smooth. Integration is a process, not an event, and the vision of one man is now shared by many and can become a reality. This is a testament to all the teams across every nation who are the mortar holding these building blocks together.
The next step in truly “giving Syria a chance” is the full repeal of the Caesar Act.
We call upon and urge Congress to take this historic step. We have come far but now need one strong final push to empower the new Syrian government to restart its economic engine and allow the Syrian people and their regional neighbors to not only survive but to thrive.
This was a week to remember.
