Turkish Ambassador Meets John Bolton at the White House

The White House announced on Monday that the Turkish ambassador in Washington met with John Bolton, the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, to discuss bilateral relations and the issue of an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey. Sarah Sanders, the White House spokesperson, stated that following a request from Serdar Kilic, the Turkish ambassador, John Bolton met with him at the White House. They discussed the ongoing detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson and the state of U.S.-Turkey relations. According to Reuters, U.S. officials say that despite some speculation, no date has been set for Andrew Brunson's release. In recent weeks, the trial of Mr. Brunson, a 50-year-old American pastor, has heightened tensions between the two countries. The U.S. has called Brunson's trial unfair and stated that the continuation of his detention is unacceptable. Andrew Brunson was arrested on charges of 'espionage' and 'terrorism' in connection with the network of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish cleric living in the U.S., and Kurdish militant groups following the failed coup attempt in 2016. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Abdulhamit Gul, the Minister of Justice, and Suleyman Soylu, the Minister of Interior of Turkey, for their roles in Brunson's detention and doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Monday that 'economic terrorism' is spreading false reports aimed at harming Turkey, but the law will deal with them. According to Reuters, the value of Turkey's national currency has significantly fallen over the past year, and on Monday, as the Central Bank of Turkey's actions failed to restore investor confidence, the lira continued to decline, reaching an unprecedented 7.24 lira per U.S. dollar. Erdogan emphasized at a meeting of Turkish ambassadors in Ankara that economic terrorists are present on social media, but the judiciary is taking action against them. The Turkish President accused market disruptors of spreading fake news about the lira's decline against the dollar to create chaos in the currency market. He also accused the U.S. of attempting to 'stab from behind.' The relations between the U.S. and Turkey, both NATO members, have been particularly strained in recent months over several issues, including the detention of Andrew Brunson. The Turkish government has repeatedly demanded the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, whom it accuses of leading the failed coup attempt in 2016. Gülen has denied these accusations, and U.S. officials have stated that his extradition requires the presentation of documented evidence to the judicial authorities in the U.S.