Erdoğan describes release of Brunson as impartial decision by judiciary

In response to Donald Trump thanking him on Twitter for Brunson's release, Turkish President Erdoğan shared a post related to the issue on his official account, saying in his tweet: "Dear Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, as I always stress, the Turkish judiciary made an impartial decision."

The Turkish judiciary's decision on Friday to release American pastor Andrew Brunson was an impartial one, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his U.S. counterpart.

"Dear Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, as I always stress, the Turkish judiciary made an impartial decision," Erdoğan wrote on Twitter Saturday.

Erdoğan also said he hopes Turkey and the U.S. will continue the cooperation that both allies deserve, adding that the countries are carrying out "joint efforts against terrorist groups, particularly the PKK, Daesh, and FETO."

The president's remarks came in response to Trump thanking him on Twitter for Brunson's release, saying: "I would like to thank President @RT_Erdoğan for his help!"

Rebuffing media claims of a deal to release the pastor, Trump also tweeted: "There was NO DEAL made with Turkey for the release and return of Pastor Andrew Brunson."

He added: "There was, however, great appreciation on behalf of the United States, which will lead to good, perhaps great, relations between the United States & Turkey!"

Brunson was arrested in December 2016 and charged in the Aegean province of Izmir with being a member of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind a defeated coup earlier that year.

After being transferred from jail to house arrest this July, Brunson on Friday was sentenced to just over three years in prison, but released due to time served and his good behavior in custody.

The charges against him included spying for both FETO and the PKK, a group recognized as terrorist by the U.S. and EU which is responsible for some 40,000 deaths in Turkey, including women and children.

X
Sitelerimizde reklam ve pazarlama faaliyetlerinin yürütülmesi amaçları ile çerezler kullanılmaktadır.

Bu çerezler, kullanıcıların tarayıcı ve cihazlarını tanımlayarak çalışır.

İnternet sitemizin düzgün çalışması, kişiselleştirilmiş reklam deneyimi, internet sitemizi optimize edebilmemiz, ziyaret tercihlerinizi hatırlayabilmemiz için veri politikasındaki amaçlarla sınırlı ve mevzuata uygun şekilde çerez konumlandırmaktayız.

Bu çerezlere izin vermeniz halinde sizlere özel kişiselleştirilmiş reklamlar sunabilir, sayfalarımızda sizlere daha iyi reklam deneyimi yaşatabiliriz. Bunu yaparken amacımızın size daha iyi reklam bir deneyimi sunmak olduğunu ve sizlere en iyi içerikleri sunabilmek adına elimizden gelen çabayı gösterdiğimizi ve bu noktada, reklamların maliyetlerimizi karşılamak noktasında tek gelir kalemimiz olduğunu sizlere hatırlatmak isteriz.