Tom Barrack’s Love Affair with the “Authoritarian” Nation of Türkiye

For Tom Barrack—the United States Ambassador to Türkiye, United States Special Envoy for Syria, and United States Special Envoy for Iraq—Türkiye is a model nation-state. On 27 July, he met with Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. In glowing terms, Barrack described their discussion as follows: “We discussed the importance of capitalizing on Türkiye’s unique history, culture, diversity, welcoming hospitality and geography as irreplaceable assets in a touristic menu.”

Barrack’s rosy assessment is difficult to reconcile with Türkiye’s actual record. Türkiye does have extraordinary archaeological sites and a rich cultural heritage, both of which are major draws for tourism. However, Türkiye’s protection and promotion of its cultural resources does not extend to Armenian cemeteries. In August 2021, an Armenian cemetery in the eastern province of Van was destroyed to make way for an apartment complex. Human remains were scattered across the building site.

That same year, an Armenian and Catholic cemetery in Ankara’s Ulus district was destroyed to make way for commercial construction. To its credit, the Ankara Chamber of Architects petitioned TOKİ, Türkiye’s state housing agency, to stop the project. Its chair, Tezcan Karakuş Candan, said, “the area is zoned as an Armenian and Catholic cemetery.” Tezcan added, “It’s inhumane to pour concrete, build stores on the graves of Anatolia’s residents, regardless of their religion, race or language.”

In 2023, TOKİ reportedly constructed two houses on an Armenian cemetery in Ğarpbörk, Elazığ Province. Villagers objected to the construction and informed TOKİ that the site was a cemetery. Their objections were ignored. According to local reports, construction machinery destroyed the cemetery, leaving human bones and skulls scattered across the site. Tom, did you know that in Türkiye cemeteries are apparently prime locations for real estate projects?

Barrack’s idealized view of Türkiye’s “diversity” and “hospitality” does not comport with the realities faced by some tourists. Just ask the 2,000 passengers aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady. Turkish authorities prevented them from disembarking and visiting the cultural treasures of Kuşadası and Istanbul. You know, the kind of touristic attractions touted by Barrack. The reason? Turkish officials stated that LGBTQ+ passengers were “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.” Apparently, there are limits to Turkish “diversity” and “hospitality.” Who knew?

Barrack’s unbridled enthusiasm for Türkiye’s “touristic menu” should be tempered by the Turkish government’s actual record on cultural heritage and tolerance. Destroying Armenian cemeteries and barring LGBTQ+ tourists tell a very different story from the one promoted by Tom Barrack. Given these realities, why is Barrack so enamored with Türkiye?