A Turkish court has released US pastor Andrew Brunson, who was jailed for alleged terror links following 2016’s failed coup attempt. Brunson’s arrest has soured US-Turkish relations, with Trump pushing for his release.
Charging him with terrorism offenses, the court handed down a sentence of 3 years and 45 days for the evangelical Christian pastor on Friday. Despite the verdict, the court also ruled that the American would not serve any further time, as he had already been detained by authorities since October 2016.
Brunson has already returned from court to his home in Izmir, and was reportedly spotted at Izmir’s Cigli Airport on Friday evening. It is understood that a private plane will whisk him back to the US.
Prior to the judge’s ruling, Brunson told the could that he was “an innocent man” adding: “I love Jesus, I love Turkey.” Reuters reports that Brunson wept as the court’s decision was announced.
Following a failed coup attempt in 2016, the North Carolina native was charged with links to Kurdish militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen - the Turkish cleric living in the US whom Ankara has blamed for the attempted coup. Brunson has repeatedly denied the accusations made against him, and his lawyer has commented outside of the Turkish court that his client will appeal his conviction.
Since his 2016 arrest, Brunson has stood at the center of a diplomatic row between Turkey and the US, as NATO allies sparred bitterly over the pastor’s imprisonment. Branson’s release could be the first step to mending relations between the two countries.
Brunson’s imprisonment led to US tariffs against Turkey and drawn condemnation from President Donald Trump, who frequently lashed out at Ankara over the American’s detainment. In the minutes following the judge’s court decision, Trump took to Twitter to declare that he is “working very hard on Pastor Brunson”.
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