Tom Barrack clarifies controversial statement: 'What I actually meant was...'

US Ambassador Tom Barrack has come to the fore with controversial statements regarding Turkey-US relations ahead of the meetings to be held between President Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump.

Barrack, noting that Erdoğan is 71 years old, stated, "Erdoğan looks like a democracy but is actually exhibiting authoritarian rule. President Trump said in a genius way, 'I should give him legitimacy.' That is what is happening right now. I think you will see big changes as a result of this." These words received harsh reactions from political actors in Turkey.

"LEGITIMACY BASED ON THE WILL OF THE NATION"

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Numan Kurtulmuş responded to Barrack's statements, emphasizing that the source of legitimacy in Turkey is the will of the nation. Kurtulmuş stated, "There is one source of legitimacy in Turkey: the will of the nation. It is not possible for any internal or external focus other than the will of the nation to provide legitimacy to Turkish politics."

SHARP RESPONSE FROM CHP

One of the harshest reactions to Barrack's words came from the CHP front. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, in his statement in Silivri following the trial of Ekrem İmamoğlu, reacted to Barrack's "legitimacy" remarks. Özel said, "He says he is giving legitimacy on the other side. Legitimacy is taken from the nation. You enter an election, you win, you become a legitimately elected government. Legitimacy continues with democratic governance. Anti-democratic behaviors inside. Legitimacy is controversial."

CHP's presidential candidate and imprisoned Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, addressing Barrack, said, "Legitimacy is taken from the nation," adding, "My legitimacy comes from my people." CHP Foreign Policy Coordinator Prof. Dr. İlhan Uzgel, in a statement on social media, said, "To us, the source of legitimacy is our nation itself. Not Trump, not the United States, not the photos to be taken with Trump."

"OPEN RESPONSE TO THE US AMBASSADOR"

CHP member Muharrem İnce also reacted to Barrack's statements, saying, "The President of the Republic of Turkey derives his legitimacy from the Turkish Nation. The US Ambassador says that Trump is giving legitimacy to Erdoğan. This statement should be condemned immediately and the US Ambassador should be called for an explanation."

STATEMENT FROM AMBASSADOR BARRACK

Following these widely debated statements in the media, the Ambassador, responding to a question from DW Turkish, stated that the "legitimacy" expression in question did not carry a political meaning. Barrack said, "I approach the issue in the context of respect. Turkey is one of our greatest allies. The purpose of NATO is to protect Europe from Russia, and Turkey is the second-largest provider of soldiers and equipment within the alliance. However, the European Union does not accept Turkey for membership. Isn't that very frustrating? This is disrespectful."

The US Ambassador continued his words as follows: "Our President admires everything Turkey does for us and for NATO. Therefore, what is meant by the concept of legitimacy is respect. By inviting Turkey, the US President is showing respect to listen to problems and work together on solutions. How can I help the Turkish people? How can we build stability together in this complex region? When I said legitimacy, I meant respect, not any political meaning."