US, Türkiye, Gulf, Europe 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with Syria: US envoy

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA The US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, said on Sunday that America stands with partners in supporting Syrian reconstruction.

"We are standing with Türkiye, the Gulf, and Europe—this time not with troops and lectures, or imaginary boundaries, but shoulder-to-shoulder with the Syrian people themselves," Barrack wrote on X.

The ambassador criticized past Western policies, referencing the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement that divided the region for "imperial gain—not peace."

"That mistake cost generations. We will not make it again," the envoy emphasized, underlining: "The era of Western interference is over."

He said the future of Syria will come with regional solutions and partnerships and diplomacy "grounded in respect.”

Barrack urged that Syria's "tragedy was born in division," saying its "rebirth must come through dignity, unity, and investment in its people.”

The statement follows significant policy changes regarding Syria. The US issued general license sanctions relief after President Donald Trump ordered the removal of "brutal and crippling" sanctions to give Syria "a chance at greatness."

Trump recently held a historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh.

The EU similarly lifted economic sanctions on Syria on Tuesday to support reconstruction efforts.

"With the fall of the (Bashar) Assad regime, the door is open to peace," the envoy said, emphasizing that sanctions elimination enables Syrians to "discover a path to renewed prosperity and security."