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United States Special Envoy Tom Barrack, who also serves as ambassador to Ankara, on Thursday praised Türkiye's "tireless role" in supporting Syria’s resurgence, calling it "a testament to the quiet, steadfast diplomacy that builds bridges where walls once stood."
He urged in a post on X for the U.S. Congress to take a “historic step” and fully repeal the Caesar Act sanctions to empower Syria’s new government and “allow the Syrian people and their regional neighbors to not only survive but to thrive.”
The 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act had served as a cornerstone of Washington’s efforts to isolate the regime of deposed President Bashar al-Assad, blocking international investments and economic transactions involving the Syrian government.
Since Assad’s ouster last year, Syria has sought to expand regional and international cooperation and remove sanctions to rebuild after over 13 years of civil war.
Several sanctions have already been lifted, including Syria’s removal from the U.S. Treasury sanctions list and the delisting of senior officials from U.N. and U.S. terrorism-related designations.
The full repeal of Caesar sanctions appears imminent, with Washington signaling a broader easing. On Monday, the Caesar Act restrictions were suspended for a second 180-day period.
Barrack praised Syria’s “remarkable transformation from isolation to partnership” and again called on Congress to repeal the Caesar Act.
He described Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington last week as “a decisive turning point in the modern history of the Middle East.”
Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday in the first-ever visit by a Syrian president since Syria’s independence in 1946.
“In a warm and substantive meeting this week, President Donald J. Trump and President al-Sharaa reaffirmed a shared conviction: that the time has come to replace estrangement with engagement and to give Syria—and its people—a genuine chance at renewal,” Barrack said.
He also praised Syria’s inclusion in the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, calling it “a historic framework marking Syria’s transition from a source of terrorism to a counterterrorism partner.”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he joined Monday’s White House meeting at the invitation of Trump’s team, underscoring Ankara’s support for Syria’s reintegration.
The visit marked a dramatic shift in Syria–U.S. relations as Damascus seeks the full lifting of Caesar Act sanctions imposed in 2019 in response to atrocities by the Assad regime.
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