The wife of NASA scientist "frustrated" by Trump's emphasis on the pastor's case

ISTANBUL – The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on the NATO ally, unless & # 39; it does not release an evangelical Christian pastor detained for terrorism and espionage.

But Andrew Brunson, a native of North Carolina, is not the only American detained in the country

The wife of NASA scientist, Serkan Golge, says he has the impression that the US government "pays less attention" to his case

"When I read the newspapers, I sometimes feel frustrated. "We are only trying to save Brunson but not us," said his wife, Kubra Golge, who, like her husband, is a double US-Turkish citizen.

In February, Serkan Golge was found guilty of terrorism and sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison

The couple and their two sons were visiting Turkey in July 2016, she said, when her husband was arrested by police while he was charged

Some 50,000 people were arrested and more than 110,000 were removed from the government Since 1965, Serkan Golge has been behind bars and his wife has stated that he has been banned from leaving the country with their sons aged 2 and 7 years.

She stated that prosecutors allege that Serkan Golge was a supporter of the US head of state Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of orchestrating the coup

Selahattin Sevi / Zaman Daily News via EPA File

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denies the prosecution. Washington's refusal to extradite is a major obstacle in relations with Turkey.

Kubra Golge is particularly frustrated by a letter signed by 66 senators in April warning that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would take action if Brunson was not released

The letter indicated that others US citizens and Turkish employees of the US government were detained for political purposes, but named only Brunson and did not detail any other cases.

"I feel frustrated, [Brunson’s] the only guy whose life has fallen," said Kubra Golge. We are also citizens.

Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump both mentioned Brunson on Twitter last week, calling him a "great Christian" and "innocent man of faith"

These tweets have made another American stuck in Turkey wonder if he is "As a US citizen, I wish the President and Vice President [the] mention our names, "said Ismail Kul, a 45-year-old Turkish-American, who was also imprisoned as a result of

Kul, a chemistry professor who worked at the Widener University of Pennsylvania, lived in the United States for 25 years, he said, and was on vacation in Turkey when the coup attempt took place. accusations of links with Gulen. He was released in January of this year. However, Kul says that it is forbidden to leave the country.

He wondered if being a Muslim could be the reason why his case does not get the same attention as Brunson's. "[Trump] said that he was a good Christian, his family needs him, he is a good husband.Are we bad people, you know? My family didn't Does not she need me? Did not I serve America? "Kul said. "Should I change my religion?"