(CNN) — The Trump administration’s threats to issue economic sanctions against Turkey late last week rapidly escalated increasing tensions between the two countries. And at the center of this international incident is one man: a detained American pastor named Andrew Brunson. To Turkey, Brunson is a spy who attempted to overthrow the government during a 2016 coup attempt. But to US officials, Brunson is an innocent Christian family man who is being wrongfully detained. The debate has strained relations between the NATO allies and raised the possibility of significant sanctions and further threats. So who exactly is Brunson, and how did the pastor become a key figure in US-Turkey relations? Evangelical Presbyterian pastor Brunson, 50, is a native of North Carolina and an evangelical Presbyterian pastor who worked in Izmir on Turkey’s Aegean coast, where he was a pastor at the Izmir Resurrection Church. He has lived in Turkey for more than 23 years with his wife and three children, according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), an organization led by attorney Jay Sekulow that has advocated for his release. But in October 2016, several months after a failed coup attempt in Turkey, Brunson was arrested and accused of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. He was formally indicted in March on charges of espionage and having links to terrorist organizations. The charges against Brunson include supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party as well as the Gulen Movement, which Turkey says orchestrated the coup attempt. Andrew & Norine Brunson/Facebook US President Donald Trump has called for the release of Andrew Brunson, right, an American pastor who has been detained in Turkey. Brunson faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted. His trial is set to resume in October. The ACLJ says that the charges are not legitimate and that Brunson was arrested primarily because of his Christian faith. US officials, including US Ambassador to Turkey John R. Bass, similarly said the accusations have no merit. “He appears to be being held simply because he’s an American citizen who as a man of faith was in contact with a range of people in this country who he was trying to help, in keeping with his faith,” Bass said in October 2017. Turkey released Brunson to house arrest on Wednesday and ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device. State-run news agency Anadolu reports the Turkish court decision was due to his “health problems.” Several US officials praised the release to house arrest but maintain that he should be fully released. “We have seen no credible evidence against Mr. Brunson, and call on Turkish authorities to resolve his case immediately in a transparent and fair manner,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week. Trump administration threatens sanctions Even before last week’s move to house arrest, the White House has repeatedly pushed for Brunson’s release in conversations with Turkish officials. That push has since escalated to threats of economic sanctions. Trump has tweeted about Brunson three separate times from his personal account, including twice in the past two weeks. The first of those came in April, when Trump tweeted that Brunson was being “persecuted in Turkey for no reason.” “They call him a Spy, but I am more a Spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs!” On July 18, Trump said it was a “total disgrace” that Turkey won’t release Brunson, he wrote in a tweet that tagged Erdogan’s account. “A total disgrace that Turkey will not release a respected U.S. Pastor, Andrew Brunson, from prison. He has been held hostage far too long,” Trump said. Finally, on Thursday, Trump tweeted that the US will impose “large sanctions” on Turkey for their detainment of Brunson, “a great Christian family man and wonderful human being. He is suffering greatly. This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!” Vice President Mike Pence similarly said that the US will impose “significant sanctions” on Turkey until Brunson is released. “I know that his faith will sustain him, but it shouldn’t have to,” Pence said at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. “Pastor Andrew Brunson deserves to be free.” Stringer/AFP/Getty Images Andrew Brunson, center, is seen inside a car escorted by Turkish plain-clothes police officers as he arrives at his house in Izmir on July 25. Turkish officials have sharply criticized the US threats of sanctions. “No one dictates Turkey. We will never tolerate threats from anybody. Rule of law is for everyone; no exception,” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on his official Twitter account Thursday. Hami Aksoy, the spokesperson of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the threats were “unacceptable.” and disregarded the US-Turkey alliance. “It is impossible to accept the U.S. Administration’s threatening messages, which totally disregard our alliance and friendly relations between our countries,” Aksoy said. Pompeo said Friday that he spoke with Cavusoglu and “underscored that it is well past time for this innocent Pastor Andrew Brunson to come home.” I spoke yesterday with Turkey’s Foreign Minister @MevlutCavusoglu and underscored that it is well past time for this innocent Pastor Andrew Brunson to come home. pic.twitter.com/6zU8pw0P0A — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 27, 2018 Possible prisoner swap Although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Brunson “is not a hostage,” he has made comments raising the possibility of a prisoner swap for Brunson. Erdogan in May questioned why the US was asking for Brunson’s release even as the US refused to extradite Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is an exiled cleric living in Pennsylvania whom the Turkish government accuses of being behind the failed coup attempt. “(Gulen’s) being harbored there. And he’s not a convict. He’s not even being detained,” Erdogan said. “And we demand his extradition, and he’s not being extradited to us. But there is a Pastor Brunson here, who is being currently prosecuted – and he’s allegedly associated with terrorist organizations. And you’re asking for him?” Last fall, Erdogan raised Gulen’s extradition in a televised speech that suggested Gulen and Brunson could be swapped. “‘Give us the pastor back,’ they say. Well, you have a pastor as well. Give that one back to us, then we will give (Brunson) back to you,” Erdogan said. Erdogan’s comments “created the perception that Brunson was illegally arrested as a bargaining chip,” according to Fadi Hakura, who manages the Turkey Project at Chatham House in London. Brunson’s release to house arrest on Wednesday came after Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assist in his release, Israeli and US officials told CNN. A senior US official told CNN that in exchange for Turkey’s release of Brunson, Israel agreed to release Ebru Ozkan, a 27-year-old Turkish woman held in Israel on suspicion of aiding Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza. Ozkan was released from prison between July 11 and 12, a lawyer for Ozkan told CNN. She was able to leave Israel for Turkey on July 15, one day after Trump spoke with Netanyahu. Erdogan denied on Sunday reports that Brunson was released in exchange for allowing Ozkan to leave Israel. “We told the Americans that they could help us with getting Ebru. … But we never said: ‘and in exchange we will give you Brunson,’” Erdogan said, according to state broadcaster TRT. CNN’s Sarah El Sirgany and Gul Tuysuz contributed to this report.<doc-sep>ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A U.S. Christian pastor on trial in Turkey on terrorism charges left prison on Wednesday after a court ruled he should be transferred to house arrest, a step that could help reduce tension between the NATO allies. Andrew Brunson, who has worked in Turkey for more than 20 years and has been detained for the last 21 months, was escorted out of prison by officials in the coastal city of Izmir, live television footage showed. He departed in a convoy of cars. Brunson, who is from North Carolina, was detained in October 2016 and charged with helping the group which Ankara says was behind a failed military coup earlier that year. His lawyer Ismail Cem Halavurt said Brunson has to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and is banned from leaving the country. The same court rejected a week ago a call by Brunson’s defence for his release. The state-owned Anadolu news agency said the court had decided, after re-evaluating the case, that he could leave prison on health grounds and because he would be under effective judicial control. Brunson’s detention deepened a rift between NATO allies Washington and Ankara, who are also at odds over the Syrian war and Turkey’s plan to buy missile defences from Russia. A source in the United States familiar with the developments said the sudden shift came a day before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence had been set to unveil a harsh new policy on Turkey. The source, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter, said U.S. and Turkish officials had been working on a deal that would lead to Brunson’s release, with Washington expecting him to be freed at the trial last week. U.S. officials had been under the impression that the deal was in place, the source said, adding that when Brunson was not released, Pence spoke with President Donald Trump and the two agreed harsh new policy measures were needed to force the issue. Pence spoke by phone on Wednesday with Brunson, who expressed gratitude for the help from Trump and his top officials in securing his move from prison, the source said. “LONG OVERDUE NEWS Brunson was accused of helping supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric who Turkish authorities say masterminded the coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan in which 250 people were killed. He was also charged with supporting outlawed PKK Kurdish militants. The pastor, who denies the charges, faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty. Slideshow ( 4 images ) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed what he said was the “long overdue news” of Brunson’s transfer, but said it was not enough. “We have seen no credible evidence against Mr. Brunson, and call on Turkish authorities to resolve his case immediately in a transparent and fair manner,” he said on Twitter. Financial markets took the transfer order as a positive, seeing in it the potential for improvement in ties between Ankara and Washington. The Turkish lira TRYTOM=D3 strengthened to 4.8325 against the dollar from 4.8599 before the report. Shares of Halkbank, whose former deputy general manager was convicted in January of evading U.S. sanctions on Iran, jumped 12 percent. Slideshow ( 4 images ) Erdogan has previously linked Brunson’s fate to that of the Muslim cleric Gulen, whose extradition from the United States has been a long-held demand of Turkish authorities. Gulen denies any involvement in the coup bid. Trump said in a tweet last week that Brunson was being held hostage and that Erdogan should “do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father”. The U.S. Senate passed a bill last month including a measure that prohibits Turkey from buying F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets because of Brunson’s imprisonment and Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defence system.<doc-sep>Update: Pastor Brunson has been released from prison thanks to a deal made by the Trump administration with the Turkish government KIRIKLAR, Turkey, July 25, 2018, (LifeSiteNews) – After spending 21 months in a Turkish prison because of his Christian faith, American Pastor Andrew Brunson has been released and allowed to return to his home in Turkey where he will be under house arrest. According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) which has been representing the North Carolina pastor, Brunson had been on trial for the crime of “Christianization.” ACLJ chief counsel Jay Sekulow said there have been “bilateral negotiations at the highest levels, including the President of the United States who I was on the phone with yesterday evening and this morning.” President Trump “has been a key leader on this,” he added. Trump tweeted last week that it was a "total disgrace" for Turkey to keep the pastor imprisoned. A total disgrace that Turkey will not release a respected U.S. Pastor, Andrew Brunson, from prison. He has been held hostage far too long. @RT_Erdogan should do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father. He has done nothing wrong, and his family needs him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2018 There are still legal hurdles to be cleared before Pastor Brunson will be allowed to leave Turkey. “The urgency on this is to continue praying for [Brunson],” continued Sekulow. “But he is out of jail. He is home. And the next step is to get him home in the United States.” A critical first step A just-issued a statement, ACLJ reports the good news: We have confirmed that the Turkish government has issued an order releasing Pastor Andrew from prison and allowing him to be returned to his home in Turkey. This is a critical first step that we believe will result in the freedom of Pastor Andrew so he can return to the United States and be reunited with his family. Brunson was jailed in October 2016 after being scooped up in a crackdown of Turkish President Erdogan’s political opponents in the wake of an attempted coup. As reported last week by LifeSiteNews, the pastor lost 50 pounds during his time in jail and is now taking antidepressants. Brunson was initially charged with membership in an armed terrorist organization. A Turkish judge had reportedly tried to link the Christian pastor to the political movement launched by Muslim Muhammed Fethullah Gülen, thought to be responsible for the attempted coup. The indictment also claimed Brunson helped members of the Kurdish Workers’ Party, which the Turkish government regards as a terrorist organization, escape by letting them become Christians and leave the country. “Let it be clear, I am in prison, not for anything that I have done wrong, but because of who I am – a Christian pastor,” said Brunson while in confinement. “I desperately miss my wife and children. Yet, I believe this to be true – it is an honor to suffer for Jesus Christ as many have before me. My deepest thanks to all those around the world who are standing with me and praying for me.”<doc-sep>
ISTANBUL — North Carolina pastor Andrew Brunson was released from prison in Turkey Wednesday after being incarcerated for nearly two years there on terrorism charges. Brunson is now under house arrest while the charges remain the same. He faces up to 35 years in prison, his lawyer told NBC News. Brunson, 50, is an evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina, who has spent the last 23 years living in Turkey, where he and his wife raised their daughter and two sons. He was running the Resurrection Church in the western city of Izmir when he was detained in October 2016 over accusations he helped individuals the Turkish government says were behind a failed coup. “I talked to his family and they were very happy,” the pastor’s lawyer Ismail Cem Halavurt said, but added they felt “betrayed” after the court failed to release him earlier. “He will not be able to leave the house except if he has an interview or hearing in the court. He will be free at home but he can’t do anything else.” Halavurt also said Brunson was in good physical condition, despite the Turkish state news agency reporting that he was released on health grounds. Brunson's daughter Jacqueline Furnari told NBC News in April that he had started to gain back some of the 50 pounds he lost while in detention. "I'm not sure exactly why my dad was chosen," she said at the time. "He's a pawn in a political game between Turkey and the U.S." Local television aired footage of what it said was Brunson being put into a white car and leaving prison Wednesday, surrounded by several other vehicles, led by a police car and motorbikes. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted afterwards that the U.S. welcomed the news. We welcome long overdue news that Pastor Brunson has been moved from prison to house arrest in #Turkey, but it is not enough. We have seen no credible evidence against Mr. Brunson, and call on Turkish authorities to resolve his case immediately in a transparent and fair manner. pic.twitter.com/So2A4hfinZ — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 25, 2018 He tweeted, “but it is not enough. We have seen no credible evidence against Mr. Brunson, and call on Turkish authorities to resolve his case immediately in a transparent and fair manner.”Halavurt said he filed a petition for house arrest after the court failed to release Brunson during a court hearing on July 18. Under the terms of house arrest granted Wednesday, Halavurt said that authorities will likely keep Brunson’s passport and make him wear an electronic ankle bracelet. The Turkish state news agency said the court banned Brunson from leaving the country. There was heightened hope for Brunson’s release after President Donald Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO summit this month. Trump has repeatedly called for Brunson’s release, stating last week’s decision not to release him was “a total disgrace.” “He has been held hostage far too long,” Trump tweeted last week. “[Erdogan] should do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father.” A total disgrace that Turkey will not release a respected U.S. Pastor, Andrew Brunson, from prison. He has been held hostage far too long. @RT_Erdogan should do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father. He has done nothing wrong, and his family needs him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2018 U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jeanne Shaheen met with Erdogan in June, adding to hopes that Brunson would be released. Shaheen said in statement afterwards that she met with the pastor in prison and asked Turkey’s president to release him. Erdogan had previously implied that Brunson’s release would be conditional on the U.S. extraditing Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. The Turkish government has accused Gulen of masterminding an attempt to overthrow the government in July 2016, a charge he denies. Opponents of Erdogan claim he has used the coup to crackdown on dissent. About 160,000 people have been detained following the failed attempt, the U.N. Human Rights Office said in March, and a U.S. official told NBC there is a “small handful” of U.S. citizens in detention following the overthrow effort. Brunson’s case created another point of tension in Washington’s relationship with Turkey. U.S. senators passed a bill in May prohibiting Turkey from buying F-35 fighter jets partly due to Brunson’s imprisonment.