Tag: Coup

Jailed US pastor still refused ‘due process’ in Turkey

January 23, 2018 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Ankara, Coup, Fethullah Gülen, Izmir, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, USA

A photo of the Rev. Andrew Brunson during his time in prison. Photo courtesy of World Witness

As a high-level US delegation arrived in the Turkish capital today (23 January), in an effort to resolve high-level tensions between the two NATO allies, discussions were slated to include what officials in Washington have termed the “wrongful detention” of US pastor Andrew Brunson for the past 15 months. Led . . . Read More

Turkish Protestant church vandalised a second time in Malatya

November 27, 2017 Turkey Coup, Malatya, Protestants, Turkey

Malatya’s Kurtulus (Salvation) Church posted this message on the broken glass after an attacker heaved a brick through the church’s display window on November 24, 2017: “’Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.’ – Jesus Christ.” (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A vandalism attack last week in Turkey’s south-eastern city of Malatya damaged a small Turkish Protestant church. The assault came just two days after the targeting of 13 minority Alevi families in a nearby neighbourhood. Rising sectarian tensions over the two incidents quickly prompted local police investigations, followed by a . . . Read More

Andrew Brunson, still in prison after one year, thanks people for praying for him

October 9, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Coup, Fethullah Gülen, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, USA

Andrew Brunson in a photo provided by his family.

American pastor Andrew Brunson has served one year as a prisoner in Turkey. Charges against him are unclear and recently Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed publicly that Brunson is being held as a political hostage. Brunson is one of an estimated 50,000 “suspected” public servants, academics, journalists and rights . . . Read More

Turkish president admits US pastor is political hostage

September 29, 2017 Turkey Binali Yildirim, Coup, Donald Trump, Fethullah Gülen, Izmir, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, USA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has for the first time confirmed publicly that a US pastor jailed in Turkey for the past 12 months is being held by his government as a political hostage. In a speech at his presidential palace yesterday (28 September), Erdoğan openly called on the United . . . Read More

Turkey charges US pastor as ‘spy’; conviction would mean life in prison

August 29, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Coup, Fethullah Gülen, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey

Almost a year after arresting him, Turkey piled on new charges of “spying” and “insurgency” against American pastor Andrew Brunson on 24 August, demanding four consecutive life sentences in prison against the 23-year resident of Turkey. Jailed since his surprise detention without charges last October, Brunson was eventually accused of . . . Read More

Political stalemate holds US pastor ‘hostage’ in Turkish jail

June 2, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Binali Yildirim, Coup, Donald Trump, Fethullah Gülen, Izmir, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Comments this week from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan increased speculation that Turkey has been holding jailed US pastor Andrew Brunson hostage since last October in order to extract political concessions from the United States. Addressing the parliamentary assembly of his ruling Justice and Development Party on 30 May, Erdoğan . . . Read More

Turkey unprepared for Trump’s counter-demand

May 22, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Coup, Donald Trump, Fethullah Gülen, Gaziantep, Izmir, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkey was unprepared in mid-May when a new bilateral issue emerged with the United States during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump in Washington DC, Al-Monitor reports. There were already two obvious agenda items between the two presidents: Turkey’s outspoken objection to Washington’s decision . . . Read More

Trump presses Turkish president to release jailed US pastor

May 17, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Ankara, Coup, Donald Trump, Fethullah Gülen, Izmir, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

US President Donald Trump has raised the issue of a US pastor imprisoned in Turkey during his first face-to-face meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Washington DC, reports CNN. According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke . . . Read More

Secretary of State Tillerson meets wife of US pastor jailed in Turkey

March 31, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Ankara, Binali Yildirim, Coup, Fethullah Gülen, Izmir, PKK, Suruç

Norine Brunson stands below_Izmir's Harmandanli Detention Center,_where her husband had first been held

America’s top diplomat met for 20 minutes yesterday with the wife of US pastor Andrew Brunson, jailed in Turkey for nearly six months on undisclosed charges of involvement in a terrorist organization. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on a one-day stopover (March 30) in the Turkish capital Ankara, . . . Read More

Turkish court blocks US Christian’s deportation

February 17, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Ankara, Coup, David Byle, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Proselytism, Ryan Keating

David Byle preaching in Turkey.World Watch Monitor Turkey’s Constitutional Court intervened promptly this week to block temporarily the pending deportation and re-entry ban ordered against a US citizen active in Christian ministry in Turkey for the past 17 years. Without the high court’s provisional ruling, Canadian-American David Byle would . . . Read More

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