Turkish court ruled that US pastor Brunson be released after two years in prison

A Turkish court on Friday ruled that US pastor at the centre of a bitter diplomatic row between Ankara and Washington be released from house arrest and allowed to leave Turkey.

The court passed a 3 years and 1-1/2 month sentence on Andrew Brunson, who had been charged with terrorism offences, but said he would not serve any further time because he had already been detained since October 2016.

The move is expected to be the first step towards mending ties between the Nato allies.

Witnesses said Brunson wept as the decision was announced. Before the judge’s ruling, the pastor told the court: 

PASTOR BRUNSON JUST RELEASED. WILL BE HOME SOON!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2018

I am an innocent man. I love Jesus, I love Turkey.

The case against Brunson, an evangelical preacher from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years and was arrested two years ago, had led to US tariffs against Turkey and drawn condemnation from President Donald Trump.

Brunson was charged with links to Kurdish militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed by Turkey for a failed coup attempt in 2016. Brunson denied the accusation and Washington had demanded his immediate release.

Earlier, witnesses told the court that testimonies attributed to them against the pastor were inaccurate, heightening expectations that Brunson could be released and returned to the United States.

Brunson appeared in the courtroom in the western coastal town of Aliaga wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie. His wife Norine looked on from the visitors’ seating area as he listened to testimony from defence and prosecution witnesses.

I do not understand how this is related to me, Brunson said after the judge questioned one of a series of witnesses. He said the judge was asking the witness about incidents Brunson was not involved in.

The lira was little changed on the day. It had firmed 3 per cent on Thursday on expectations that he would be released. It stood at 5.910 at 1336 GMT.