Turkey: Pastor Brunson denies contrived allegations

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Turkey | 14 May 2018

According to a report by Middle East Concern on 7 May 2018, US citizen Pastor Andrew Brunson denied all allegations‚ at his second court hearing:‚ "I was never ashamed to be a server of Jesus but these claims are shameful and disgusting". According to World Watch Monitor reporting on 4 May 2018, Brunson is a political hostage being used as a bargaining chip with the United States to get the alleged July 2016 coup leader, Fethullah Gƒ¼len, extradited from the USA. Michael Bosch, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "For all objective observers it is obvious that this whole case is a farce. Brunson clearly has nothing to do with "˜FETO" (Fethullah Terrorist Organisation) nor the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party). Based on anonymous eye-witness accounts, he has further been accused of "˜Christianization", i.e. of endangering Turkish unity through evangelism. This accusation fits the Turkish government"s current nationalistic propaganda and the Muslim population"s widespread opinion that every true Turk must be a Muslim. However, if the opposition can make headway in the upcoming snap election in June 2018, this might possibly help in getting the current government"s case against Brunson dropped."