Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Turkey faces sanctions from U.S.
Trump demands release of pastor; Pence warns Erdogan in speech
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would impose “large sanctions” on Turkey for its detainment of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor held for nearly two years on terrorism-related charges who U.S. officials say is innocent.
In a tweet, Trump called Brunson “a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being” and demanded his immediate release.
His comments on Twitter echoed a stern warning from Vice President Mike Pence to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a speech in Washington earlier Thursday. Pence said Erdogan should allow Brunson to return to the United States “now or be prepared to face the consequences.”
On Wednesday, a Turkish court ordered that Brunson be freed from prison and placed under house arrest while his trial continues, according to Brunson’s attorney.
“This is a welcome first step, but it is not good enough,” Pence said during remarks at the close of a three-day conference on religious freedom at the State Department. “I know that his faith will sustain him, but it shouldn’t have to. Pastor Andrew Brunson deserves to be free.”
In a statement released Thursday, the spokesman for Erdogan said the detention of Brunson “falls within the jurisdiction of [Turkey’s] independent judiciary.”
Ibrahim Kalin also warned the United States to “reconsider its approach and adopt a constructive position before inflicting further damage to its own interests and its alliance with Turkey.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a Twitter post said “We will never tolerate threats from anybody. Rule of law is for everyone; no exception.”
The statement was not explicitly directed toward the United States, but was posted in English just a few hours after Trump threatened sanctions.
The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed the Turkish government to release Brunson, 50, a longtime resident of Turkey who was swept up in a campaign of mass arrests that followed a coup attempt against Erdogan in the summer of 2016.
He was among 20 U.S. citizens arrested and charged after the failed coup.
White House spokesman Hogan Gidley declined Thursday to discuss the timing of a sanctions announcement or the decision-making process.
“The president was clear on Twitter today, as was the vice president, that they fully expect, the president expects and wants Pastor Brunson to be returned immediately to the United States and, if not, they can expect sanctions,” Gidley said.
While the decision to place Brunson under house arrest could be a step by the Turkish government toward resolving his case — for instance, by deporting him — he remains on trial. He faces charges that include espionage and collusion with terrorist groups and is banned from travel, according to the court order.
The NATO allies have argued over the jailing of American citizens in Turkey, the war in Syria and Turkish plans to buy a Russian missile defense system.
A central argument between the two countries concerns the fate of a Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania. Turkish officials have described Gulen as the architect of the failed coup and demanded his extradition. U. S. officials contend that the Turkish government has failed to provide enough evidence to warrant extradition.
In a speech last year, Erdogan appeared to suggest that Brunson could be traded for Gulen. “Give us that pastor,” he said, “and we will do what we can in the judiciary to give you this one.”
Brunson, a Christian missionary from North Carolina, has lived in Turkey for 23 years. He was detained in October along with his wife, Norine Brunson, though she was released.
The indictment, based on evidence provided in part by three secret informants, accuses Brunson of acting in coordination with Gulen’s organization as well as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party.