Trump expected to meet American pastor freed from Turkey
The American pastor who has been freed from Turkey after two years in detention is expected to meet with President Trump in the Oval Office on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
“He suffered greatly, but we’re very appreciative to a lot of people,” Trump told reporters before his rally in Ohio Friday evening. “He went through a system and we got him out. They’ve been trying to get him out for a long time,” Trump added.
The agency reminds that the North Carolina pastor, who lived in Turkey for over 22 years, was detained in October 2016 for what the Trump administration said were bogus terror and espionage charges.
Brunson was imprisoned for two years and then placed on house arrest for health reasons. He was finally ordered freed on Friday and was sentenced to time served.
Though the Trump administration demanded in July that President Recep Erdogan release Brunson, vowing to sanction Turkey if it didn’t, Trump said on Friday that “there was no deal made” to free the pastor.