White House rejects Türkiye's request to release American priest
(Baonghean.vn) - A senior US government official told The Wall Street Journal on August 20 that the White House had rejected a proposal from Turkey to release an American priest in exchange for exemption from a multi-billion dollar fine that the US imposed on a Turkish bank.
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| Father Andrew Brunson. Photo: Getty |
According to this source, the White House has expressed its attitude that other issues will only be considered and weighed after Father Andrew Brunson has been released.
The Journal also said the refusal could lead to the US imposing additional sanctions on Türkiye this week. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier on August 16 that the US was ready to do so if Brunson was not released.
“A true NATO ally should not have detained Brunson in the first place,” a senior White House official said, referring to Türkiye’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Father Brunson was arrested in Türkiye in 2016, accused of helping plan a coup attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The North Carolina-born priest's case quickly soured relations between Washington and Ankara, with the two sides trading increasingly heated rhetoric and retaliatory tariffs.
On August 17, a high Turkish criminal court rejected Brunson's request to lift his house arrest and allow him to travel abroad after his appeal was rejected by a lower court.
