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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Thomas Barrack met Saturday in Istanbul, marking a significant diplomatic engagement as American policy toward post-Assad Syria continues to evolve.
The Istanbul meeting comes amid heightened diplomatic activity following the Trump administration's decision to lift comprehensive economic sanctions on Syria last week.
The U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye has quietly assumed an additional role as Special Envoy for Syria, according to updated social media profiles and recent high-level meetings, marking a significant shift in how Washington approaches the post-Assad Middle East.
Thomas Barrack, who serves as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and special envoy for Syria, now holds dual appointments that reflect Türkiye's growing influence over Syrian affairs since Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December.
The dual appointment comes as the Trump administration moves to reshape U.S. policy toward Syria following the end of the country's 14-year civil war.
Last week, President Donald Trump announced the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, a landmark decision that clears the path for increased humanitarian aid and foreign investment in the war-torn nation.
Barrack, a private equity executive and longtime Trump advisor who chaired the president's 2016 inaugural committee, has been at the center of recent diplomatic activity.
Since arriving in Ankara earlier this month, he has participated in multiple high-stakes meetings, including dining with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on his second evening in the capital.
Syria welcomed the United States' decision to lift comprehensive economic sanctions on Saturday, calling it a "positive step" toward the country's post-war recovery following the December overthrow of ex-President Bashar al-Assad.
The formal lifting of sanctions on Friday represents a dramatic reversal of U.S. policy that had maintained sweeping financial restrictions throughout Syria's 14-year civil war.
The move opens the door for American investment in Syria's reconstruction efforts for the first time in over a decade.
"The Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the decision from the American government to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and its people for many years," Syria's foreign ministry said in a statement, describing the action as "a positive step in the right direction to reduce humanitarian and economic struggles in the country."
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