Turkey Pushes Back Against Freeing US Pastor Brunson: 5 Things to Know

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter

1. Turkish President Speaks Out

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gestures during an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Steve Adler and Reuters Chief Correspondent Parisa Hafezi at The Peninsula hotel on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, New York, U.S. September 21, 2017.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gestures during an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Steve Adler and Reuters Chief Correspondent Parisa Hafezi at The Peninsula hotel on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, New York, U.S. September 21, 2017. | (Photo: REUTERS/Darren Ornitz)

President Erdogan said on Sunday that rumors that his country has agreed to release Brunson in exchange for an imprisoned Turkish national in Israel are false.

"We told the Americans that they could help us with getting Ebru (Ozkan) ... but we never said 'and in exchange we will give you Brunson,'" Erdogan told state broadcaster TRT, as reported by CNN.

"We never made Brunson a topic of negotiation. Instead of respecting the Turkish judiciary, they are turning this into talk of sanctions."

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Erdogan further warned the U.S. that it risks losing a "strong and sincere partner" if it continues pressuring it over Brunson.

"You cannot make Turkey take a step back with sanctions," Erdogan declared. "They need to know the following: we are not tied with an umbilical cord to the US."

Follow Stoyan Zaimov on Facebook: CPSZaimov

Was this article helpful?

Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.

$25/month$50/quarter$100/yearOne-time

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage.

Most Popular

More Articles