Fidan meets US special envoy Barrack in Ankara ahead of NATO summit

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack in Ankara, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced. The ministry shared a photo of the meeting but provided no further details. Barrack, who also serves as the US special envoy for Iraq and Syria, described the gathering as productive on social media platform X.

NATO summit preparation

Barrack wrote: “As strong allies with many shared goals, the U.S.‑Türkiye partnership is delivering results.” The meeting comes ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for July 7‑8 in Ankara, where alliance reforms, defence spending, and the Iran war are expected to dominate the agenda. Barrack’s dual role as ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Iraq and Syria allows him to coordinate US policy across interconnected files, including counter‑terrorism, energy security, and regional stability.

Türkiye‑US ties

Ankara and Washington have worked to repair relations after tensions over Syria, S‑400 missiles, and F‑35 programme disagreements. Recent cooperation includes coordination on the Black Sea grain corridor, counter‑terrorism in Syria, and support for the Pakistan‑mediated Iran‑US talks. Fidan and Barrack last met in March. The Ankara summit is seen as an opportunity to showcase the strength of the alliance and address remaining disagreements.