Turkey Moves U.S. Pastor to House Arrest After Tensions Spike
- American Andrew Brunson had been in jail for two years
- Turkish lira rose on expectations of improvement in U.S. ties
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Turkey decided to release American pastor Andrew Brunson to house arrest on Wednesday, a step that is likely to ease heightened tensions between the NATO allies but falls far short of U.S. demands for his acquittal. The lira and stocks gained.
Protestant missionary Brunson has spent nearly two years in jail on charges of collaborating with Turkey’s foes and attempting to stir chaos by inciting hatred based on religious and ethnic differences. His release was ordered a week after a court in Izmir rejected his attorney’s request to free the pastor, citing the seriousness of charges against him. President Donald Trump called the court decision a “total disgrace.”