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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Mon Jul 30, 2018, 01:41 PM Jul 2018

Trump's Deal to Free a Pastor in Turkey Falls Apart -- and He Makes Things Worse

Trump thought he'd sealed a deal to free Pastor Andrew Brunson. But no. So now he's threatening sanctions against a NATO ally—which is unlikely to do Brunson any good.

JULIA ARCIGA
07.30.18 12:41 PM ET

A very public diplomatic spat erupted last week between the U.S. and Turkey over the fate of American Pastor Andrew Brunson—who has been jailed by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the last 21 months.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who famously fist-bumped Erdogan during the NATO summit last month, apparently thought he had a deal with the Turkish president. The Washington Post called it “a carom shot” that would free a Turkish woman held in Israel as a trade-off for the release of Brunson.

The woman, Ebru Ozkan, was deported from Israel on July 15. But the deal for Brunson fell apart. He was allowed to move from a Turkish prison to house arrest due to health concerns, yet remains captive. And after what appears to have been an acrimonious phone call between Trump and Erdogan on Thursday morning, as Trump had to recognize another of his deals with foreign leaders was falling apart, things started to get really ugly.




Experts say that the aftermath of Trump’s “Twitter diplomacy” threatening Erdogan with sanctions reduces the chance Brunson will be coming home any time soon, and makes a tense time in an already complex relationship even worse.

Bulent Aliriza, Director of the Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says Erdogan has reacted badly to the tweets and suggests winning Brunson’s freedom is now “less likely than before.” Aliriza also says the Erdogan government is “obviously digging in their heels,” leading to “a very serious deterioration.”

more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-deal-to-free-a-pastor-in-turkey-falls-apart-and-he-makes-things-worse?ref=home
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Trump's Deal to Free a Pastor in Turkey Falls Apart -- and He Makes Things Worse (Original Post) DonViejo Jul 2018 OP
Can't get a clear picture of Brunson the man and what he's all about. Girard442 Jul 2018 #1
He's certainly a pawn in this game, but there are indications he was an agent or assist to... Brother Buzz Jul 2018 #3
And again, Russia benefits C_U_L8R Jul 2018 #2

Girard442

(6,058 posts)
1. Can't get a clear picture of Brunson the man and what he's all about.
Mon Jul 30, 2018, 01:50 PM
Jul 2018

As of right now, my gut feeling is he's just a pawn in a much larger game.

Brother Buzz

(36,212 posts)
3. He's certainly a pawn in this game, but there are indications he was an agent or assist to...
Mon Jul 30, 2018, 02:21 PM
Jul 2018

the failed 2016 coup d'état.

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.

C_U_L8R

(44,889 posts)
2. And again, Russia benefits
Mon Jul 30, 2018, 02:01 PM
Jul 2018

We're being sold out, sold off and betrayed by these Trumpist traitors.
And Republicans are okay with that.

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