Barrack calls Trump-Erdoğan meeting a 'great opportunity'

U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, answered questions from the İhlas News Agency in New York as part of his contacts during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. When asked whether sanctions on Syria would be permanently lifted, he said, "Some of the sanctions have actually already been lifted."

Noting that work on this issue is ongoing, Barrack stated, "There are already many sanctions that have been lifted. President Trump lifted general exemption number 25. Export licenses are being removed. There is one significant sanction, a law known as the Caesar Act, which is in the process of being permanently repealed. There is an exemption."

Stating that the goal is to lift sanctions, Barrack explained, "There is some debate about how to do this. Our goal, President Trump's goal, is to give them (Syria) a chance. And the only way to give Syria a chance is to turn the lights on. That is why we need more power, more electricity. We want people to feel a difference in their daily lives. And the president is offering this opportunity to the new regime by saying, 'Lift the sanctions and give them a chance.'"

"TURKEY'S LEGITIMACY IS IMMENSE"

Regarding the meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump, Barrack noted that both leaders are star figures, stating, "My hope is that they like each other; both are needed. Turkey's legitimacy as a center of regional stability is immense. Turkey is not only NATO's largest ally but also our greatest partner in a very complex region. While chaos reigns in other parts of the Middle East, this is an opportunity to bring all the threads together. President Erdoğan and President Trump are great leaders. I think they can achieve a lot."