Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

October 23, 2018

The Release of Andrew Brunson May Be an Opportunity to Reset U.S.-Turkish Relations

The two countries share common interests.

Last week, Ankara—likely trying to make the most of Saudi Arabia’s killing of the pro-Turkish journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul—set free Andrew Brunson, a pastor from North Carolina, after imprisoning him for two years on trumped-up charges. Turkey, under Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, has in recent years moved in an Islamist and undemocratic direction, supported Hamas, broken longstanding ties with Israel, flirted with Russia and even Iran, and generally undermined its once-firm alliance with the U.S. To Soner Cagaptay, Brunson’s release could lead to a broader thaw in Turco-American ties, especially since the two countries share many interests:

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