Turkish court frees US pastor Andrew Brunson

A Turkish court ordered the release of American pastor held for the last two years in Turkey, in a case that sparked a crisis in ties with the United States. 

Andrew Burnson was convicted of terror-related charges and sentenced to three years, one month and 15 days in jail on Friday. 

But, he was freed taking into account the time already served and his good conduct in the trial. The court also lifted his house arrest and overseas travel ban, paving the way for his return to the US.   

“This is good news for the Americans, as well as the Turkish market. Everybody was waiting for this court decision, as there was pressure on the Turkish lira following the tension between the US and Turkey” over the Brunson case, reported Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Izmir.

A lawyer for the Brunson’s family said the pastor was on a plane to the US, Reuters news agency reported. 

Andrew Brunson, US pastor who has been in house arrest in Turkey, is sentenced to three years, one month and 15 days in prison. Judicial control and travel ban are lifted. Brunson is expected to be released and leave Turkey later today. @AJEnglish pic.twitter.com/8C1yfj6C4D

— Umut Uras (@Um_Uras) October 12, 2018

After the court ordered Brunson’s release, US President Donald Trump tweeted that his “thoughts and prayers” were with the pastor.

Brunson, 50, was arrested in 2016 as part of the government crackdown in the wake of a failed coup bid. He has been house arrest since July.

Friday’s court decision ends the friction over his case that caused a crisis in relations between NATO allies Ankara and Washington.

With Washington slapping sanctions on Ankara, the crisis also sparked a crash in the Turkish lira in August that exposed Turkey’s economic fragility.

Galip Dalay, a visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford, said that the release of Brunson removes a main source of the tensions in the relations between Washington and Ankara.

“The judgement opens the way for the two countries to cooperate further in and focus on the other areas of mutual interest such as the Syrian crisis and the case of Jamal Khashoggi,” he said, referring to the Saudi writer and critic who disappeared earlier this month after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. 

“The US sanctions on Turkey are likely to be removed after this development as well.”

The US evangelical preacher was accused of links with Kurdish rebels and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey blamed for the failed coup attempt. Gulen has denied any involvement.

Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, has denied the charges and maintained his innocence.

The US had maintained he was held unjustly and repeatedly called for his release.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan insisted that he had no sway over the judiciary and that the courts would decide on Brunson’s fate.

Additional reporting by Umut Uras () from Istanbul. 

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies