President Donald Trump announced new initiatives as part of a global call for protecting religious freedom at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, which his aides have characterized as the centerpiece of his visit to the conference of world leaders.
American pastor Andrew Brunson thanked President Trump for the administration's work to free him from a Turkish prison during an Oval Office news conference Saturday afternoon, a few hours after he arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC.
Before Turkey released American pastor Andrew Brunson, he was at the center of tensions between the two NATO allies.
American pastor Andrew Brunson, released after being detained in Turkey for two years, has landed at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, a senior US administration official said Friday night.
US officials believe they're on the verge of securing the release of Andrew Brunson, the American pastor jailed by Turkey on accusations he helped plot a coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The White House has rejected a Turkish offer to release an American pastor in exchange for forgiveness of billions of dollars in US fines on a Turkish bank, expressing that other matters would be considered only after Andrew Brunson is released, a senior administration official told The Wall Street Journal.
One of Turkey's high criminal courts has rejected U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson's request to be released from house arrest and permitted to travel abroad, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolou news agency.
President Donald Trump said Friday he is greenlighting a doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey and warned that US relations with the country "are not good at this time."
Turkey's President ordered the freezing of assets of two US officials, state media reported Saturday, days after the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey's justice and interior ministers.
The US Treasury Department is sanctioning NATO ally Turkey's ministers of justice and interior in response to the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied Sunday that Turkey had agreed to free a detained American pastor as part of a possible deal with the US and Israel, and warned that Turkey would not be bullied into releasing him by U.S. President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence threatened Thursday to impose "large sanctions" on its NATO ally Turkey if that country does not release an American pastor currently under house arrest.
President Donald Trump has once again called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to release an American pastor being held on charges of espionage.
