A Turkish court has ruled that F35 stealth jets…”poor health” is the reason for the transfer of an American pastor who has been held for two years on “terrorism” and “espionage” charges.
It appears yesterday’s controversial Congressional vote to block sale of Lockheed Martin’s advanced F-35 stealth fighter to Turkey may already be having an effect as less than 12 hours after the House and Senate adopted the legislation, American Pastor Andrew Brunson has been released from a Turkish prison and placed into house arrest.
US pastor Andrew Brunson has left jail and is on his way to his way to his home in the city of Izmir, according to Turkish TV station A Haber. He has spent almost two years behind bars on espionage and terror charges. Will remain under house arrest. pic.twitter.com/dFxjuuat6k
— Laura Pitel (@laurapitel) July 25, 2018
Brunson’s family is “elated” according to media statements. His wife reportedly waited for his release from a prison in the western part of the country.
He will be confined to his residence in Turkey where he can have interaction with his family and move freely within the confines; however, he will continue to proceed through his trial in the Turkish legal system.
Pastor Brunson, a 50-year-old evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina detained in 2016, faces charges including espionage and aiding terrorist groups after being accused of cooperating with “Kurdish terrorists” and colluding with the Gulenist Islamic movement; he faces up to 35 years in prison if found guilty. He has now been in Turkish custody for nearly two years.
Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily summarized the legal declaration of Brunson’s house arrest:
The Second High Penal Court in the western province of İzmir had rejected Brunson’s plea for release on July 18, deciding to continue listening to the testimonies of witnesses in the next hearing scheduled for Oct. 12.
Following an objection from Brunson’s attorney İsmail Cem Halavurt, however, the same court ruled on July 25 to move Brunson from prison to house arrest citing the “health excuse” that was stressed in the plea.
The court also banned Brunson from leaving Turkey and imposed a judicial control decision.
Previously, President Trump has personally called for Brunson’s release in multiple public statements, saying as recently as a week ago on twitter while directly addressing the Turkish president: “A total disgrace that Turkey will not release a respected U.S. Pastor, Andrew Brunson, from prison. He has been held hostage far too long. Erdogan should do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father. He has done nothing wrong, and his family needs him.”
And in April Trump tweeted about the pastor: “They call him a Spy, but I am more a Spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs.”
Pastor Andrew Brunson, a fine gentleman and Christian leader in the United States, is on trial and being persecuted in Turkey for no reason. They call him a Spy, but I am more a Spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018
American diplomats have also previously warned the arrest is part of the Turkish government’s policy of “hostage diplomacy” and further warned the issue could trigger “unprecedented sanctions” — something Congress followed through on in its passage of the 2019 the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which locks transfer of the advanced stealth fighter, each aircraft costing at least $100 million.
The Pentagon’s budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year will now go the president’s desk with language in it that calls for the immediate release of Brunson. The bill also mentions immediate release of any other “U.S. citizens wrongfully or unlawfully detained in Turkey” and calls for improved human rights under the increasingly authoritarian Turkish state and – ironically – NATO ally.
Pastor Brunson’s fate has lately become bound up with a broader tense geopolitical standoff between the US, Turkey, and Russia connected to Ankara’s pursuing a contract for Russia’s advanced S-400 anti-missile defense system, said to be worth $2.5 billion. State Department officials have lately to warned of sanctions over the defense shield’s installation, rare to the point of being unheard of when it comes to NATO allies, specifically because of fears that Russia would get simultaneously gain access to the extremely advanced Joint Strike Fighter stealth aircraft, enabling Moscow to detect and exploit its vulnerabilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the ruling on Wednesday, but added that “it is not enough”.
Interestingly, though the court cited “poor health” as its reason to grant transfer to house arrest, it appears that Turkey is trying to soften what’s now clearly US Congress’ strong-fisted resolve to follow through on Washington’s threats on the matter.
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