Turkish court orders release of US pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest
Brunson will be heading back to the US on a military plane, according to officials
A Turkish court ruled on Friday to release the US evangelical Christian pastor at the centre of a bitter diplomatic row between Ankara and Washington, a move that could be the first step towards mending ties between the Nato allies.
Andrew Brunson will land at a military base near Washington on Saturday and will likely visit the White House the same day, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
“We’re very honoured to have him back with us,” Trump told reporters, referring to the Brunson’s release. “He suffered greatly but we’re very appreciative to a lot of people,” Trump added, saying no deal had been made with Turkey on lifting US sanctions in exchange for Brunson’s release.
The court passed a three years and one-and-a-half-month sentence on Brunson, who had been charged with terrorism offences, but said he would not serve any further time because he had already been detained since October 2016.
“This is the day our family has been praying for – I am delighted to be on my way home to the United States,” Brunson said in a statement. “It’s been an extremely difficult time for our family and we want to express our appreciation to the millions of people around the world who have faithfully prayed for this day.”