By Barçın Yinanç
“Israel can claim it is a democracy … but in this region, whether you like it or not, what has worked best is a benevolent monarchy,” said Tom Barrack, speaking at the Doha Forum in the first week of December.
“I don’t see a democracy [anywhere in the region],” added the U.S. ambassador to Ankara.
While Turkey is handled by the Europe department in most Western foreign ministries, there is a tendency to categorize it as a Middle Eastern country. Since Barrack clearly sees Turkey as a Middle Eastern country, he does not see a democratic country. Many Turkish citizens do not see a democratic country either. But for different reasons. Turkey’s democratic deficit has long overshadowed Turkish citizens’ aspirations for democracy.
Barrack achieved a peak of orientalism, by defining democracy as a luxury for the Middle East, and therefore for Turkey.
SPECIAL IMMUNITY FOR BARRACK
Since Turkey is not a monarchy, he either sees an authoritarian regime, or a sultanate if he wants to be nostalgic. But criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as an authoritarian leader, a dictator or as a sultan can land you in jail.
Had it been a decade ago, Barrack would have been summoned to the Foreign Ministry, or even declared persona non grata for his condescending statements. He can’t be summoned to the Foreign Ministry, since he is nowhere to be found in Ankara. Of course this is not the reason for Ankara’s lack of reaction. Erdoğan’s relations with U.S. President Donald Trump and Barrack’s role in the Turkey-Syria-Israel triangle provides him immunity that goes beyond the protection that is usually enjoyed by diplomats.
Barrack’s outlook overlaps with the Trump administration’s vision for the Middle East.
“The key to successful relations with the Middle East is accepting the region, its leaders, and its nations as they are while working together on areas of common interest,” says the new administration’s new National Security Strategy (NSS) document dated November 2025.
“The Trump administration want to focus less on the Middle East in order to direct their time and energy on the rivalry with China. So they want to rely on certain countries in the Middle East to keep a certain level of stability in the region,” a Turkish diplomat had told me in the summer, explaining U.S. willingness to partner with Turkey on the region.
NEW SECURITY DOCUMENT
The updated security manual says that “…the days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy in both long-term planning and day-to-day execution are thankfully over—not because the Middle East no longer matters, but because it is no longer the constant irritant, and potential source of imminent catastrophe, that it once was.”
The document presents a clear break with past U.S. administrations since it declares the U.S. will no longer champion universal values like democracy and human rights.
Prior to Erdoğan’s meeting with Trump in the Oval Office in September, Barrack had once again shocked Turkish pundits when he remarked that “President Trump says … let’s give them what they need … legitimacy.”
RECIPROCITY ON LEGITIMACY
The legitimacy Barrack is talking about is not limited to improving Erdoğan’s standing in U.S. political circles. It is also about turning a blind eye to the regime’s unprecedented assault on the opposition.
That said, Trump does no favors without receiving one (or more) in return. So the legitimacy works both ways. Turkish endorsement of Trump’s plan for Gaza provides legitimacy to an ambiguous framework which might not sufficiently protect Palestinian rights.
The blessing of the plan by Erdoğan, who has been the staunchest defender among all Middle Eastern leaders of the Palestinian cause and the most vocal critic of Israel, is invaluable for the acceptance of a scheme that aims not to find a solution but to render the problem manageable.
Meanwhile, Trump expects Turkey to play an important role in Syria. His entry to the White House for his second term coincided with the toppling of the Assad regime by forces led by Ahmed al Sharaa. Since day one, Trump claimed Turkey was behind this regime change. The expectation that Turkey will play a stabilizing role in Syria is also voiced in the NSS.
“Syria remains a potential problem, but with American, Arab, Israeli, and Turkish support may stabilize and reassume its rightful place as an integral, positive player in the region.”
The challenge for Washington will remain enabling Israel and Turkey to reach an understanding in Syria, since the two work for different outcomes.
