Thomas Barak: Is U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Erdogan’s Man?
The New York Sun criticizes U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barak as resembling "Erdoğan's man in Washington" for condemning an Israeli strike on a Syrian base where Turkish contractors were present.
A sharply critical intervention regarding the role of U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barak has been published by the New York Sun, bluntly asking whether Donald Trump’s close friend is moving too close to Ankara’s positions. The newspaper’s editorial ties the diplomat’s stance to the dangerous escalation between Turkey and Israel in Syria, arguing that his policy agenda closely tracks Turkish ambitions. The editorial concludes with the pointed accusation that Barak resembles more “Erdoğan’s man in Washington” than a U.S. representative, as Newsbreak reports.
The Need to Choose Alliances and the Abu al-Duhur Strike
Comparing the situation to the 2010 Mavi Marmara crisis, the newspaper notes that American neutrality has limits. The message to the White House is clear: in the event of escalation, Donald Trump must support Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel and not unpredictable Turkey.
At the heart of the confrontation lies the expansion of Turkish influence in post-Assad Syria. The new tension was triggered by the Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur air base, where Turkish contractors had arrived. Netanyahu and Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir made clear that Israel will not accept new military facts on the ground or the installation of hostile forces next to its borders.
Barak’s Actions and Ankara’s Contradiction
The New York Sun criticizes Thomas Barak for his immediate condemnation of the Israeli strike. The American ambassador stated that Turkey had not been informed and that its last-minute restraint prevented the worst, while announcing efforts toward a conflict-avoidance mechanism. However, the newspaper identifies a contradiction: since Turkey itself denied military presence at the base, its demand for prior notification from Israel would amount to implicit recognition of a Turkish zone of influence in Syria.
Erdoğan’s Eastern Plan and the Ambassador’s Role
According to the analysis, Erdoğan is attempting to turn Syria into a launching pad for his hegemony in the Sunni world. Having supported Ahmed al-Sharaa, he is training Syrian forces and undertaking infrastructure reconstruction, while simultaneously hosting Hamas. The possibility of Turkish military assets being installed in Syria is viewed by Jerusalem as a direct threat, a fact that led even Mossad chief Ronen Gofman to make a phone call to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
Thomas Barak, who in addition to serving as ambassador to Ankara also acts as special envoy for Syria, is criticized for operating autonomously from the State Department. The newspaper suggests appointing a separate ambassador to Damascus, so that the same person does not manage two portfolios that create a conflict of interest.
The Significance of the New York Sun’s Intervention
The New York Sun is a conservative American outlet with an expressed Zionist orientation, under publisher Dovid Efune. The article is not a government leak, but institutionally expresses the newspaper’s editorial line. Its significance lies in the fact that it criticizes a personal friend of Trump, constituting a warning shot from within the conservative camp against his tolerance toward Turkey.
