Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey are high, partly because of the case of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who is being prosecuted in Turkey for alleged espionage and terrorism-related offenses that he denies. U.S. President Donald Trump has called for his immediate release.

take our poll - story continues below

Will You Be Voting In Person November 3rd?(2)

• Will You Be Voting In Person November 3rd?  

• Should the Government be Mandating Masks?*
  • Yes
  • No
  • My State Is Not Allowing In Person Voting
• Email*
• Email
  This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Completing this poll grants you access to Right Wing Tribune updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

President Trump has ramped up the pressure on the NATO ally as he tries to win the release of Andrew Brunson, a pastor from North Carolina who’s on trial for espionage and terrorism-related charges. RWT News

“The United States will impose large sanctions on Turkey for their long time detainment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being.  He is suffering greatly. This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!”  ~ President Trump

Turkey has long criticized the United States for not agreeing to hand over Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric accused by Turkish authorities of engineering an attempted coup in 2016. Gulen denies those allegations, and Washington has urged Turkey to present convincing evidence for any extradition proceeding to go forward.

The United States recently imposed economic penalties on Turkey, including tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum, that contributed to a slide in the value of the Turkish lira. Turkey’s economy is already vulnerable because of heavy foreign currency borrowing that fueled high growth for years.