NEW YORK, Sept 26 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a Turkish court, not politicians, will decide the fate of an American pastor Andrew Brunson whose detention on terrorism charges has roiled relations between Ankara and Washington. And while investors have sent the lira higher this week following comments from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Turkey might soon release an imprisoned US pastor, as well as assurances from Erdogan that the Turkish central bank would remain independent, the strongman insisted during an interview with Reuters published Thursday that a Turkish Court would decide the pastor's fate, walking back his earlier comments. Brunson, who is facing 35 years in prison on controversial charges of espionage and terrorism, was remanded to house arrest and banned from leaving the country as an appeal for his release was rejected by the Third High Criminal Court in Izmir last month. American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey, will have to wait until the court makes a decision on Oct. 12 to find out if he will be freed, the country's president said Tuesday. “This is a judiciary matter. Brunson has been detained on terrorism charges,” Erdoğan said on Wednesday and added that “On Oct. 12 there will be another hearing and we don’t know what the court will decide and politicians will have no say on the verdict.”

Turkey eyeing Mormons as next target after Brunson

Meanwhile, Bloomberg wrote on Wednesday that even if Brunson is freed, the threat to Turkey’s Mormons, who prosecutors say Brunson conspired with, will remain. After a Turkish court put Brunson under house arrest following almost two years of incarceration on terrorism charges, the US administration sanctioned two Turkish ministers and doubled the tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that a Turkish court will decide the fate of American pastor Andrew Brunson.