the US ambassador and special envoy to Syria spoke about Turkish-US relations and the latest developments in the Middle East.
Barak described the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, saying, "They (Trump and Erdoğan), as well as Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his US counterpart Rubio, all enjoy good personal relations."
He stressed that "at a very important stage in history, a personal relationship based on mutual trust, closeness, and understanding began between four people: the two presidents and the two foreign ministers."
Barak recalled that Trump and Erdoğan had held two phone calls, stressing that this contributed to the beginning of the formation of mutual trust and confidence between them. Barak explained that the American and Turkish presidents view this situation as an opportunity to change the language of dialogue.
Speaking about Turkey's role within NATO, Barak said, "Before this NATO meeting, we always considered Turkey a great NATO ally, but in my humble opinion, Turkey has never received the status, appreciation, and importance it deserves as a major regional player."
