Return of US pastor eases tension with ally Turkey
A US pastor held for two years in Turkey on terror-related charges arrived home on Saturday and sat down with US President Donald Trump, who signalled an easing in the diplomatic crisis sparked by the case.
Andrew Brunson who has become a cause célèbre for Trump’s conservative Christian base received a hero’s welcome at the White House.
Brunson thanked Trump and his administration, saying “you really fought for us” and later prayed for the president, his hand on Trump’s shoulder.
Trump repeatedly thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his help in the case, which caused not only a serious diplomatic row between the Nato allies but led to a crash in the lira, exposing Turkey’s economic fragility.
“It’s not an easy situation for Turkey either. They had a lot of difficult situations going on and I do want to thank President Erdogan for making this possible,” Trump said.
On Friday, a Turkish court in Aliaga convicted Brunson on charges of espionage and aiding terror groups. It sentenced him to three years, one month and 15 days in jail but released him on the basis of time served and for good behaviour. Erdogan has said that the court’s decision was “taken independently”.
Both Trump and Erdogan denied reports that the two sides reached a secret deal for Brunson to be released in exchange for the US easing “economic pressure” on Ankara.
“There was absolutely no deal made,” Trump told reporters on Saturday. “We don’t pay ransom” for hostages. But as he tweeted earlier, “There was, however, great appreciation on behalf of the United States, which will lead to good, perhaps great, relations between the United States & Turkey!”
Erdogan later responded: “I hope that the US and Turkey continue co-operation in a manner that befits two allies.”
While the strain in bilateral relations eased with Brunson’s release, problems remain.
Secretary of state Mike Pompeo urged Turkey to “quickly release” other Americans in detention. He said Washington would “continue to work hard to bring home all American hostages and those wrongfully imprisoned and detained”.
Nasa scientist Serkan Golge, a dual US-Turkish national, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in February on terror charges, a term reduced to five years last month.
Two employees of US diplomatic missions, both Turkish citizens, remain in jail. One of them, Hamza Ulucay, was denied release on Friday.
Anthony Skinner, director for Middle East and North Africa at the Verisk Maplecroft consultancy, said: “The clamp has now been removed, which opens the way for bilateral negotiations to address other sources of disagreement, but Washington and Ankara still have to navigate through a minefield.”