DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL: The United States will appoint President Donald Trump’s longtime friend and current US ambassador to Turkiye, Thomas Barrack, as a special envoy for Syria, a person with direct knowledge of the matter and a diplomat in Turkiye said.
The decision follows Trump’s landmark announcement last week that US sanctions on Syria would be lifted. It also suggests US acknowledgement that Turkiye has emerged with key regional influence on Damascus since Syrian strongman Bashar Assad’s ouster by rebels in December, ending 14 years of civil war.
Asked for comment, a US State Department spokesperson said: “There is no announcement at this time.”
Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Rubio said he was allowing Turkish embassy staff, including Barrack, to work with local officials in Syria to understand what kind of aid they need.
“We want to help that government succeed, because the alternative is full-scale civil war and chaos, which would, of course, destabilize the entire region,” Rubio said.
A US-Turkish meeting focused on Syria took place in Washington on Tuesday with Barrack in attendance, according to Turkiye’s foreign ministry, which said sanctions relief and efforts to counter terrorism had been discussed.
The US had sought a step-for-step approach to Syria sanctions relief until Trump’s announcement that he was ordering “the cessation of sanctions,” which he said aimed to give Syria a chance to recover from devastating war. He said he made the decision after discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Trump also met with Syria’s interim president Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on May 14 and urged him to normalize ties with longtime foe Israel following his surprise sanctions announcement.
Removing US sanctions that cut Syria off from the global financial system would clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organizations working in Syria, and ease foreign investment and trade as the country looks to rebuild.
US to appoint Thomas Barrack as special envoy for Syria, sources say
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US to appoint Thomas Barrack as special envoy for Syria, sources say
Palestinian man dies after being shot by Israeli forces
- Baraa Bilal Issa Qablan, 21, was traveling in vehicle near city of Qalqilya
LONDON: A Palestinian man died on Monday after being shot by Israeli forces during an incident on Sunday close to the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya.
Baraa Bilal Issa Qablan, 21, was injured when Israeli forces at the northern entrance to the town of Azzun opened fire on a vehicle traveling along the Qalqilya-Nablus road.
Momen Nidal Abu Riyash, 19, a resident of Qalqilya, was killed in the incident and a third man, identified as Muhammad Saeed Taha Hussein, was taken into custody.
Qablan was injured and detained by Israeli forces, the Wafa news agency reported. The Palestinian Authority’s General Authority for Civil Affairs said on Monday that he later succumbed to his injuries.
More than 1,000 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the Gaza war in late 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
During the same period, 43 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank, according to official Israeli figures.
