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U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said Washington is prepared to act as a bridge between Türkiye and Greece, calling the tensions between the two NATO allies “meaningless.”
Speaking to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Barrack said the U.S. could help the two countries come closer, adding that disputes rooted in “events from hundreds or even thousands of years ago” no longer justify ongoing strain.
Barrack said the issue is being discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“We are talking to President Donald Trump about this. We are thinking, ‘Can we be the mortar between two bricks so the two countries can move step by step toward each other?’ This should happen. The time has come for new cooperation,” he said.
He emphasized that progress begins with communication and added, “If the two countries can come closer, the hopes of all people will rise.”
Barrack said a forum should be established in the Eastern Mediterranean and noted that the Cyprus issue is an important regional matter.
“There cannot be an abscess at the center of a healthy body. The whole body must be treated. The Cyprus issue will also be resolved,” he said.
The ambassador also discussed the Halki (Heybeliada) Seminary.
He said the school could reopen next September.
Barrack noted that during Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos’ visit to the Oval Office on Sept. 15, the topic was raised with both President Trump and President Erdogan.
He added that the U.S. wants to help facilitate discussions “to see whether anything can be done to follow progress and reach the possible reopening of the school in September 2026.”
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