Turkey’s Protestant Christians ‘feel stronger’ after trauma of Brunson case

Soner Tufan with Andrew Brunson on the evening of the 12 October 2018 trial
A spokesman for Turkey’s Protestant Christians declared yesterday that his country’s tiny Christian community has “emerged stronger” from the high-profile trauma of evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson’s highly contested imprisonment and trial. The US pastor’s two-year ordeal culminated in a Turkish court’s decision on 12 October for his release and departure . . . Read More

Andrew Brunson’s legal appeal sent to Turkey’s highest court

Andrew Brunson’s legal appeal sent to Turkey’s highest court
Jailed US pastor Andrew Brunson’s lawyer has filed a formal appeal before the Turkish Constitutional Court to overturn two lower court refusals to release his client from house arrest. The 10-page petition, studied by World Watch Monitor, called for “urgent” and “corrective” action by Turkey’s highest court to set free . . . Read More

Turkey replaces prosecutor who indicted US pastor Brunson

Turkey replaces prosecutor who indicted US pastor Brunson
At the outset last week of Turkey’s new judicial year, the Izmir prosecutor who prepared the controversial indictment accusing US pastor Andrew Brunson of terrorism and espionage was reassigned to another bureau. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul dismissed the transfer simply as a “routine procedure” with no particular significance, referring to . . . Read More

Hidden agendas cloak Turkish-US feud over jailed pastor

Hidden agendas cloak Turkish-US feud over jailed pastor
On the eve of the week-long Muslim festival of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has accused US President Donald Trump of not wanting to solve his country’s disagreements with the United States over jailed US pastor Andrew Brunson. “It seems that they do not want to solve . . . Read More

Could Brunson’s release ease Turkey’s diplomatic standoff with the US?

Could Brunson’s release ease Turkey’s diplomatic standoff with the US?
After the slipping Turkish lira nosedived dramatically yesterday, losing a record 5 per cent of its value in one day, unnamed Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed to CNNTURK today that a government delegation from Ankara is heading to Washington within two days to discuss escalating tensions between Turkey and the United . . . Read More

US to Turkey: Release pastor Brunson or ‘face the consequences’

US to Turkey: Release pastor Brunson or ‘face the consequences’
US Vice President Mike Pence has said that America will impose “significant sanctions” upon Turkey if it does not release American pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest and allow him to return to the United States. During remarks delivered on 26 July in Washington, DC, to the Ministerial to Advance . . . Read More

Home after 21 months, but US pastor Andrew Brunson now can’t leave house till October trial

Home after 21 months, but US pastor Andrew Brunson now can’t leave house till October trial
A crowd of Turkish Christians from Andrew Brunson’s Izmir Resurrection Church greeted their pastor with cries of “We love you, Andrew!” as he arrived home under police escort on Wednesday afternoon, 25 July. After nearly 22 months in detention, Brunson was released at 5.30pm from Izmir’s Kiriklar maximum security prison . . . Read More

US pastor Andrew Brunson to be moved from prison to house arrest, but can’t leave Turkey

A photo of the Rev. Andrew Brunson during his time in prison.  Photo courtesy of World Witness
The US pastor Andrew Brunson is being moved from Kiriklar prison to house arrest in Turkey after a court ruling today, 25 July, a leader of the Turkish Protestant Church has confirmed direct to World Watch Monitor. The same source confirmed that Brunson’s wife is on her way to the . . . Read More