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ALIAGA, Turkey (Reuters) – A Turkish court ruled on Friday that the American evangelical Christian pastor at the center of a row between Ankara and Washington could go free, a move that could be the first step towards mending the NATO allies.
The court sentenced Andrew Brunson to three years and 1-1 / 2 months in prison on terrorism charges, but said it would not serve any further jail time. The pastor, who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, has been in prison for two years and has been under house arrest since July.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has imposed sanctions on Turkey in an attempt to secure Brunson's freedom, tweeted: "PASTOR BRUNSON JUST RELEASED. WILL BE HOME SOON! "
Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and red tie, the North Carolina Before the judge's ruling: "I am an innocent man. I love Jesus, I love Turkey. "
After the ruling, Brunson's lawyer told reporters the pastor was likely to leave Turkey. The U.S. military has a plan to fly Brunson back to America on a military aircraft, officials told Reuters.
The diplomatic stand-off over Brunson, who had been pastor of the Izmir Resurrection Church, had accelerated to sell-off in Turkey's currency, worsening a financial crisis.
Brunson had been accused of Kurdish activists and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed by Turkey for a coup attempt in 2016. Brunson denied the accusation and Washington had asked for his immediate release.
Witnesses told the court in the western town of Aliaga that testimonies against the pastor were inaccurate.
Brunson's wife Norine looked on from the visitors' area.
'GREAT CHRISTIAN'
Brunson's mother told Reuters she and her father were elated at the news. "We are overjoyed that God has answered the prayers of so many people around the world," she said.
Trump has scored with evangelical Christians, a large part of his political base, by focusing on the Brunson case. The release could boost Trump's ability to encourage such voters to support Republicans in large numbers in Nov. 6 elections, which will determine whether the party keeps control of Congress.
The highly conservative constituency is overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016. He has called Brunson a "great Christian," and Vice President Mike Pence, the White House's top emissary to evangelicals, had urged Americans to pray for Brunson.
U.S. broadcaster NBC said on Thursday that Washington had a secret deal with Ankara to secure Brunson's release.
The price will be at 5,910 on the dollar at 1336 GMT, less than 3 months on firming.
NATO ALLIES
Relationships between the two NATOs are also under way in support of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, Turkey's plans to buy a Russian missile defense system, and the US jailing of an executive at a Turkish state bank in an Iran sanctions-busting case.
With Brunson's release, attention can now turn to the fate of a Turkish-U.S. national and train NASA scientist in jail in Turkey on terrorism charges, as well as three local employees of the U.S. Consulate who have also been detained.
Washington wants all these people released, while Ankara has asked for the extradition of Gulen. The cleric, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999,
Friday's decision could be a first step to ease tensions.
Hakan Attila to serve out his sentence, the release of the U.S. consular staff, and agreement that the U.S. Treasury avoid draconian steps against Halkbank, the state lender.
Additional reports by Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler and Sarah Dadouch in Istnabul and Matt Spetalnick, Susan Heavey and Jonathan Allen in Washington; Writing by Daren Butler and David Dolan; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Dominic Evans and David Stamp
