US pastor remains political hostage in Ankara
If speculation is true that American pastor Andrew Brunson is being held as leverage for the extradition of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen and Iranian-Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab, it marks a new low for Turkey.
“Andrew is extremely discouraged and really really needs your prayers!”
The May 27 post on the joint Facebook page of pastor Andrew Brunson and his wife, Norine, suggests that US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure the American cleric’s freedom from a Turkish jail aren’t going well.
Brunson, a native of North Carolina, has remained in prison since Oct. 7 after being arrested over his alleged missionary activities in support of terror organizations. Trump raised his case with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their 23-minute meeting at the White House on May 16, raising hopes that he would be freed and allowed to return home.
But a story calling Brunson a CIA operative that was splashed on the front page of the Turkish daily Takvim just four days after the presidents met was an ominous signal that the pastor won’t be leaving anytime soon. The newspaper claimed that Brunson ran “an extensive intelligence network” and that had the July coup attempt succeeded, he would have been made director of the CIA.
