A photo of US Special Envoy Tom Barak sitting in the Turkish Defense Minister's office with others sparked a debate in Turkey, as critics accused the American envoy of appearing as a 'colonial governor,' questioning why the seating arrangement suggested he was chairing the meeting. Barak, who is also the US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Syria, met with Defense Minister Yashar Guler in Ankara on Friday. The photo, released by the Defense Ministry, showed Barak seated alone in the center seat, with Guler and senior military commanders, including the Chief of General Staff, seated on either side. A wide debate erupted on social media, where critics argued the photo implied the ambassador was dominating the scene, and Turkish officials appeared in a more subordinate position. Deputy from the right-wing 'Iyi' party Lutfi Turkkan wrote on platform X: 'Is this man an ambassador or a colonial governor?' adding, 'No one has the right to portray Turkey in such a state of helplessness'. Turkish media cited Defense Ministry officials as saying the seating protocol was not specific to Barak, and that the same arrangement is applied to all visiting officials. However, veteran diplomatic correspondents said the arrangement is highly unusual by international standards, noting that the standard protocol does not typically place the visiting delegation head in the central seat while the host official sits to the side. Journalist Badjen Yenach told AFP: 'In almost 35 years of journalism, including 25 years covering diplomacy, I have never seen a similar protocol anywhere in the world'. She added that the arrangement does not align with established diplomatic norms, pointing out that deviations from standard protocols have become more frequent in Turkey in recent years. She continued: 'What makes the matter even more surprising is that it happened at the Defense Ministry, an institution known for its strict adherence to hierarchy and formal rules'. Critics also argued that the state's official protocol is unified, and reception practices are subject to established national traditions. Namik Tan, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party and a former ambassador to Washington, stated that 'unless those in charge of protocol lack professional experience, they are expected to be familiar with the state's established traditions'. The seating arrangement also drew criticism from within the government. Bulent Arinc, former parliament speaker and one of the founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party, wrote on platform X: 'The situation today is another protocol mistake that is difficult to justify'. He added: 'Even if Barak was assigned special tasks by President Trump, he is still the US ambassador to Ankara and holds the same status as any other foreign envoy'. He continued: 'An ambassador presiding over a meeting with the defense minister and military commanders does not conform to the state's protocol. And if this practice has become customary, it must be reviewed immediately'. Turkey had previously faced a similar controversy over diplomatic protocol. In 2021, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was left without a seat during a meeting with President Erdogan in Ankara. This drew criticism after then-European Council President Charles Michel sat in the only seat next to Erdogan, an incident widely known as 'sofa-gate'.
