A Turkish Court Extends Detention of American Pastor

A court in Turkey decided on Wednesday to keep an American pastor, who is being tried on charges of terrorism and espionage, in prison. This case has escalated tensions between Washington and Ankara. Andrew Brunson, a pastor from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for over two decades, is accused of aiding a group that the Turkish government holds responsible for the 2016 coup attempt. He is also charged with aiding the illegal and militant PKK group. Mr. Brunson, who denies these charges, could face up to 35 years in prison if convicted. According to a Reuters report, he told the court in Turkish: "Being in prison and away from my wife and children is very difficult. There is no concrete evidence against me. The apostles of Jesus Christ suffered for him, and now it is my turn. I am innocent and deny all these allegations." Donald Trump has called for the pastor's release. The U.S. Senate last month passed a law banning the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey due to Mr. Brunson's detention and Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system. The U.S. consul in Izmir, where Mr. Brunson resides, described the court's ruling as "disappointing." Philip Kosnett told reporters outside the courthouse: "The U.S. government is deeply concerned about the status of Mr. Brunson, other American citizens, and local staff of our diplomatic offices who have been detained under emergency regulations." He added: "We have great respect for Turkey's historical role as a safe haven for believers and for the judicial institutions of this country. We believe that the handling of this case is contrary to these historical traditions." Andrew Brunson was a pastor of a small Protestant church in a southern city of Izmir. His lawyer had initially expressed hope that Mr. Brunson would be released after the testimony of witnesses called by the prosecution. However, on Wednesday, the prosecution added two more unidentified witnesses to the case, resulting in the court scheduling the next hearing for mid-October to review the new evidence. Immediately after the court's ruling, the value of the Turkish lira against the dollar fell, indicating investor concerns about escalating tensions with the U.S. The case of Andrew Brunson is one of the issues that has caused tension between the two countries. In May of this year, U.S. judicial authorities sentenced a senior Turkish banking official to 32 months in prison for helping Iran evade sanctions. Two Turkish employees of U.S. diplomatic offices in Turkey are also in prison. Another point of contention between the two countries relates to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has extensive cooperation with Syrian Kurdish groups against Islamic State fighters, but Ankara considers these groups to be affiliated with the PKK, which has been fighting government forces in Kurdish regions for about three decades. The Turkish government states that judicial authorities will decide on Andrew Brunson's case. However, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has previously stated that Mr. Brunson's fate is tied to how the U.S. deals with Fethullah Gülen. The Turkish government holds Mr. Gülen and his followers responsible for the failed coup two years ago and has sought his extradition from the U.S. Fethullah Gülen has denied involvement in the coup, which resulted in at least 250 deaths.