Tag: Andrew Brunson

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

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

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

IS guilty of genocide, says US Secretary of State

August 17, 2017 Global News -- No Particular Country Afghanistan, Al-Shabaab, Andrew Brunson, Blasphemy, Donald Trump, Genocide, Iran, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Lord Alton, NATO, Pakistan, Qatar, Rex Tillerson, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Taliban, Turkey, USA, Wahhabism, Yemen

The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has stressed that the actions of the Islamic State (IS) group against Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims constitute genocide, and also criticised America’s ally, Saudi Arabia, for religious freedom violations. Tillerson made his “genocide” comments in the preface to the State Department’s annual . . . 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

US Commission urges Trump administration to prioritise international religious freedom

May 18, 2017 Global News -- No Particular Country Abune Antonios, Andrew Brunson, Central African Republic, China, Donald Trump, Eritrea, Eritrean Orthodox Church, Iran, Mike Pence, Myanmar, Nguyen Cong Chinh, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Religious freedom, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

An influential US government commission that monitors religious freedom around the world is urging President Donald Trump and his new administration to take concrete steps to make advocacy of universal religious rights a priority in American foreign policy. “Our foreign policy should not simply be about US self-interest – you know, . . . 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

Turkey vote ‘could lead to hate crimes against non-Muslims’

April 21, 2017 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Islamic extremism, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkey’s referendum result, which allowed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to expand his powers, could lead to the further erosion of democracy and of the demonising of non-Muslims, a former opposition politician has warned. In the referendum, held on 16 April, 51 per cent of voters approved proposals to abolish the . . . 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

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