US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack gave his first invitation since he took office in May 2025, today at the embassy residence in Ankara. Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, President of the Constitutional Court Kadir Özkaya, Member of the US House of Representatives Darrell Issa, representatives of diplomatic missions and many guests attended the US Independence Day reception. The representation of European ambassadors appeared to be limited.
'THEY CALLED MY GRANDFATHER TURKISH'
The reception started with the reading of the national anthems of Turkey and the USA. Then, in his speech, Tom Barrack said, "At the very time when Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence - 250 years ago - Sultan Abdulhamid was just returning from a war with Katerina; you had a 500-year world domination spanning three continents." Recalling his own past, Barrack said, "I come from a place called Zahle in Lebanon. When my grandparents came to America in 1900, they carried passports with the word 'Turk' in the nationality section. We were addressed as such everywhere. My grandfather was nicknamed 'Turk' and this continued for another 50 years." Barrack noted that as someone with such a background, he was pleased to give such an invitation.
commemorated ATATÜRK
Barrack continued, "Today, we see chaos in the world. We live in a really difficult geography. However, Turkey has been in a very difficult geography for a long time; despite this, it has managed to manage the situation, adapt and move forward. If you think about that period when my family fully adapted to America, you will see that a man named Mustafa Kemal Atatürk attempted to determine a new texture, a new structure and a new direction for a culture that had been a great power in the world for 600 years. And in fact, the Republic of Turkey has not been long at all." “It was reborn a while ago,” he continued.
Barrack said, "I promise you that clarity will emerge from the chaos. This unity of Turkey, America and our neighbors may be that magic elixir that will carry us to a new beginning. On this occasion, on behalf of my boss, the President of the United States, and with the great respect I have for your boss, the President of Turkey, I would like to raise a glass in honor of this wonderful unity and future of the United States and Türkiye."
PRAISE FROM ŞİMŞEK TO BARRACK
Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek started his speech by saying that strong institutions are behind the success of the USA. Stating that transoceanic relations date back to the maritime trade agreement signed in 1830, Şimşek said, "The first American diplomat came to Istanbul the next year. First came trade, then diplomatic relations. As a finance minister, I like this order."
Şimşek also spoke highly of Barrack and said, "Of course, everyone knows that Ambassador Barack has brought a new and renewed energy and a constructive spirit to our relations. In his capacity as the Special Presidential Representative for Syria and Iraq, he also carries out studies on issues of importance for Turkey and our region. However, what I would especially like to emphasize is the Ambassador's distinguished business career, which constitutes a great opportunity to develop mutually beneficial economic and commercial ties between Turkey and the USA. He attaches great importance to this interaction; we continue our close cooperation, our partnership and "We look forward to further strengthening our alliance," he said.
BOYCOTT FROM GOOD PARTY
İYİ Party International Relations Chairman Ahmet Erozan stated that he refused to attend the reception in the morning. Erozan, on his social media account, said, "As usual, I received an invitation and I turned it down on July 27. Since the day has come, I felt the need to share the reason now. It would be a disgrace for me to go to the presence of someone who deserved to be Persona non grata (Persona non grata) more than once and shake his hand, regardless of the occasion. You can follow those who shared his sins by shaking the man's hand through their social media posts." shared. Erozan, who found the date of the event remarkable, said, "Let me remind you, he chose the wrong day. 104 years ago, Izmir was saved today (yesterday). He will never forget this day." While Namık Tan from the YENİ Party did not attend the reception, Prof. Dr. İlhan Uzgel participated.
