Posted on 10/11/2018 12:31:43 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
Andrew Brunson, the evangelical pastor being tried on espionage/terror charges in a controversial case that has badly bruised the U.S.’ relations with its NATO ally Turkey, is due to appear in court tomorrow. Hopes on the American side are that the 50-year-old native of Black Mountain, North Carolina, who has been held for a year in prison and under house arrest since July, will finally be freed.
The hearing comes amid a burgeoning alignment between Washington and Ankara over Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident Saudi journalist who is feared to have been murdered by a Saudi hit squad in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a Washington audience yesterday, “I’m very hopeful that before long Pastor Brunson and his wife will be able to return to the U.S..” It remains unclear whether Pompeo was airing a wish or speaking on the basis of solid information.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, added to the cautiously optimistic mood, telling reporters en route home from an official trip to Hungary yesterday, “I am not in a position to intervene in the judicial system. Whatever the judiciary decides, I am obliged to abide by." He refrained from alluding to the bizarre allegations against Brunson that he had previously characterized as “dark terror links.” They include claims that Brunson, together with assorted Americans of the Mormon faith, was involved in the failed plot to bloodily overthrow Erdogan in July 2016 and foment Kurdish separatism by converting Kurds to Christianity.
The future of Turkey’s increasingly turbulent ties with the U.S. seem to hinge on the outcome of Friday’s proceedings, with the White House and Congress threatening to enact assorted sanctions if he and several other Americans and Turkish nationals working at US diplomatic missions in Turkey, all seen as political hostages, are not released.
(Excerpt) Read more at al-monitor.com ...
We are at a real crossroad between the US and Turkey.
Turkey is in serious financial trouble and totally supports ISIS, Al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorists, the Palestinian Terrorists and many other Jihadi's.
We wait to see Turkey's actions.
The Author Amberin Zaman, is married to a US State Department official. Her parents are Turkish, but she grew up in the U.S. She writes from a perspective in the US.
the Turks really took us for a ride - and Israel too - the last time we went down this road. i hope this is for real.
What has this got to do with Israel?
a month or two ago a prisoner that Turkey wanted was released from Israeli prison in an assumed 3 way deal to get Brunson. it looked like Turkey then reneged. https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-on-israels-release-of-turkish-terror-suspect-i-got-that-person-out/
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