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U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack said U.S. President Donald Trump plans to give Türkiye the "legitimacy" it seeks, predicting "dramatic changes" in bilateral relations ahead of the White House summit on Thursday.
Speaking at the 2025 Concordia Summit panel "Voices of Diplomacy: Shaping America's Role in the World" on Sept. 24, Barrack revealed Trump's new approach to resolving decade-old disputes between the NATO allies.
The ambassador's comments came one day before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's first visit to the White House since 2019.
"The president said, 'I'm tired of all of this. Let's take a bold move and on a relationship to relationship basis, give them what they need,'" Barrack quoted Trump as saying. When asked what Türkiye needed, Trump responded: "legitimacy."
The ambassador emphasized that issues between the countries extend beyond military hardware disputes involving S-400s, F-35s and F-16s. "It's not about lines. It's not about the S-400. It's not about the F-16s. It's about legitimacy," Barrack said.
Barrack highlighted the contradiction in Türkiye's international position, calling it America's "greatest ally in NATO" while noting that Europe refuses to grant EU membership to Ankara.
He described this exclusion as central to understanding bilateral tensions.
"You have a country that's been our greatest ally in NATO. NATO being Europe, and Europe won't let him into the European Union," Barrack said, referring to President Erdogan's long-standing EU membership aspirations.
The ambassador revealed frustrations over defense contracts, noting Türkiye is "the largest buyer of F-16s in the world, which keeps Lockheed moving." Yet, Washington removed Ankara from the F-35 program after Türkiye purchased Russia's S-400 air defense system.
Barrack characterized the 71-year-old Erdogan's position, saying Türkiye is "a democracy, but it's kind of authoritarian." He praised Trump's approach as "genius" for recognizing that providing legitimacy could resolve longstanding disputes.
The ambassador expressed frustration with the stagnant state of U.S.-Türkiye relations, listing unresolved issues including S-400s, F-35s, F-16s and Halkbank sanctions. "We've been dealing with the same issues for 10 years," Barrack stated.
He described persistent questions about Türkiye's allegiances: "Are they friends? Are they foes? They're dealing with Russia. They're conservative Muslims, are aggressive Muslims. They haven't condemned the Muslim Brotherhood. They haven't condemned Hamas."
Speaking to Ihlas News Agency (IHA) the same day, Barrack called Türkiye's "legitimacy as a regional stability center very great" and described it as America's "biggest partner in a complex region."
U.S. President Trump recently confirmed ongoing negotiations on Truth Social, announcing discussions about F-35 fighter jets, Boeing aircraft purchases and F-16 sales.
Trump expressed optimism about resolving the F-35 dispute, stating he expects "positive results."
"President Erdogan and I have always had a very good relationship. I look forward to seeing him on the 25th," Trump wrote.
Erdogan responded on X, stating the meeting would address "many issues, including trade, investment and defense industry" with the United States. He expressed belief that discussions with Trump would "contribute to stopping wars and conflicts" and "further strengthen" bilateral cooperation.
The summit represents a potential turning point after years of strained relations. Türkiye's removal from the F-35 program, congressional sanctions threats, and disputes over Syria policy have complicated the NATO alliance.
Barrack predicted the legitimacy approach would yield results: "I think you're going to see a dramatic change as a result of, again, that instinctive mode that we live with every day."
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