President Donald Trump celebrated the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson who was detained for nearly two years by Turkish authorities, in a Friday morning tweet. (RELATED: Turkey’s President Arrests More Than 100 People Related To Failed 2016 Coup)
PASTOR BRUNSON JUST RELEASED. WILL BE HOME SOON!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2018
My thoughts and prayers are with Pastor Brunson, and we hope to have him safely back home soon!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2018
Brunson was detained in alleged connection with an attempted coup against Erdogan in 2016. The U.S. government maintained consistently that Brunson was being unfairly treated and used as leverage in negotiations with the U.S. government.
Turkey released Brunson Friday after a Judge removed all controls on his travel. He was previously placed in detention and house arrest for alleged espionage charges. Turkey’s detention of Brunson significantly escalated tensions between the U.S. and Turkey even sparking the imposition of sanctions on the country. The situation is particularly unusual because both countries are NATO allies.