Credit where it’s due

Economic pressure on Turkey pays off

FOR ALL the negative press our president gets, let’s give him credit when it’s due. On Friday, the results from our dealmaker-in-chief finally came to fruition.

American pastor Andrew Brunson was arrested in Turkey during all the chaos of a failed coup. The papers say Rev. Brunson was held for a year without any charges at all. Then, when the authorities decided that looked bad, he was charged with terrorism, of all things. For a time he was held in a prison cell with 21 others. (That cell, by the way, was made for eight people.) And while in prison, he lost 50 pounds, the hard way.

He was later moved to house arrest but was still unable to leave the country. And Americans tend to get a little angry when our citizens are wrongfully held abroad. Rev. Brunson, a Presbyterian minister, had a small church over in Turkey. Since 2016, evangelical leaders here in America have been trying to bring him home, and thanks to our president, that’s happened.

The Washington Examiner reports: “A judge ordered Brunson’s release as part of a reported deal in which President Trump will ‘ease economic pressure.’” Prosecutors aren’t dropping their ridiculous case, but Mr. Brunson will be allowed to leave the country.

Maybe other countries holding American citizens on flimsy charges will take note. We don’t take kindly to our citizens being wrongfully held in shoddy cases, with shoddy evidence and shoddy charges.

When Turkey initially refused to release our pastor, President Trump laid down the law, in his style. And through some fast-acting and rather tough sanctions, Turkey’s economy took more than a few lumps. The papers say its currency has been declining for a while now, but the commander-in-chief’s moves sure didn’t help.

For the American president, this was a fulfilled campaign promise. Mr. Trump said he intended to bring the pastor home, and now that’s done. Check the box. It’s a promise kept, and we’re making note of it.

As for Mr. Brunson, welcome home, sir. Giving up the congregation you’ve worked more than two decades to build won’t be easy. Give it a while.

For now, just take a deep breath of free air.