--- title: Why the U.S. and Turkey Don’t Win in Pastor Andrew Brunson’s Release description: Brunson’s release may remove one irritant in the Turkish-American relationship. But there are many others, and both sides come off poorly, writes Henri Barkey canonical: https://time.com/5423893/andrew-brunson-turkey-trump/ author: Henri Barkey article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-10-12T23:03:27.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:44:11.787Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Why the U.S. and Turkey Don’t Win in Pastor Andrew Brunson’s Release og:description: Brunson’s release may remove one irritant in the Turkish-American relationship. But there are many others, and both sides come off poorly, writes Henri Barkey og:url: https://time.com/5423893/andrew-brunson-turkey-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc00618a50efcdffa/698936608fd2ee414735c3e4/american-pastor-turkey-sanctions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3103 og:image:height: 1745 og:image:alt: Pastor Brunson Turkey og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why the U.S. and Turkey Don’t Win in Pastor Andrew Brunson’s Release twitter:description: Brunson’s release may remove one irritant in the Turkish-American relationship. But there are many others, and both sides come off poorly, writes Henri Barkey twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc00618a50efcdffa/698936608fd2ee414735c3e4/american-pastor-turkey-sanctions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why the Trump Administration and Turkey Don’t Win in Pastor Andrew Brunson’s Release > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. 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Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Henri Barkey](https://time.com/author/henri-barkey/) ## Henri Barkey Oct 12, 2018 11:03 PM UTC  US pastor Andrew Craig Brunson escorted by Turkish plain clothes police officers arrives at his house on July 25, 2018 in Izmir. Brunson has spent almost two years imprisoned on terror-related charges in a controversial case that has ratcheted up tensions with the United States. US pastor Andrew Craig Brunson escorted by Turkish plain clothes police officers arrives at his house on July 25, 2018 in Izmir. Brunson has spent almost two years imprisoned on terror-related charges in a controversial case that has ratcheted up tensions with the United States. AFP —Getty Images by [Henri Barkey](https://time.com/author/henri-barkey/) ## Henri Barkey Oct 12, 2018 11:03 PM UTC Predictably [Pastor Andrew Brunson was released](http://time.com/5423138/american-pastor-andrew-brunson-free-turkey/) following a court appearance on October 12 from [custody in Turkey after two years of incarceration](http://time.com/5351025/andrew-brunson-trump-turkey/) for supposedly supporting terrorist groups. This was part of a fantastical indictment that involved secret Mormon missionaries (Brunson is a Protestant mind you) and secret witnesses. He was discharged not because the “Turkish justice system” deemed him innocent but rather because the Turks were afraid that Trump would unleash another series of tweets that could undermine the Turkish lira and [contribute to an already galloping inflation](http://time.com/5365183/turkey-economy-erdogan-us-sanctions/). Turkey is at the beginning of a deep recession that risks undermining the very foundations of [President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s economic edifice](http://time.com/5368958/turkey-economy-lira-erdogan-erdoganism-muslims/) and possibly his electoral coalition. Brunson’s release may remove one irritant in the Turkish-American relationship. There are many others, including the continued [incarceration of three Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), Turkish citizens who work for the State Department](https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/6H9LCM8X8WFPLKA2iwU9Gj?domain=washingtonpost.com) in Turkey and help embassies and consulates with their diplomatic tasks. This is part of a calculated harassment campaign intended to prevent U.S. officials from conducting their traditional work. The Trump administration while voluminous on Brunson has said precious little about the FSNs (and dual Turkish-American citizens languishing in jail). One of those FSNs has worked for the U.S. for 37 years and suffered through official intimidation campaigns for much of this time. There are two other points of dispute between the two countries. One is Erdogan’s planned purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile system that is likely to compromise the F-35 brand new U.S. fighter jet. The U.S. Congress has already threatened to prevent the Turks from purchasing the F-35 in the event the S-400 sale goes through. Second, and far more worrisome, is Turkish displeasure at the U.S. alliance with Syrian Kurds against the Islamic State, ISIS. Turkey sees the Syrian Kurds as an extension of their own and as such as a strategic threat. Syrian Kurdish successes in conjunction with the Americans may result in similar outcome as in Iraq where Iraqi Kurds have established their own autonomous region. If Syria were to follow, Turkish Kurds who have rebelled on and off for almost a century will think it is their turn. On the day when Brunson was released, Erdogan threatened to intervene in Syria, specifically in a U.S.-Kurdish controlled city, Manbij, to cleanse it of Kurds. Though bluster, Erdogan’s threats and his daily anti-American rhetoric contribute to a corrosive atmosphere for Americans in Turkey. The Brunson release is not a win for the Trump administration. Washington had to bargain with Ankara and a Turkish banker serving a sentence in New York for engineering a massive violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. He will probably be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence in Turkey. His bank, Halkbank, is scheduled to be fined by U.S. Treasury for the same sanction violations although the amount could be reduced significantly. In other words, Erdogan’s hostage taking policy has produced some results. Also, Trump allowed for these hostage situations to fester for far too long. Still, Erdogan comes off poorly from this episode. Everyone around the world, save for his own public who never get to see any news critical of him as he completely controls almost all press outlets, now knows that the “Turkish justice system” will take orders from the president. At the October 12 hearing, no less than four secret witnesses suddenly and simultaneously recanted their testimonies and claimed they were misunderstood. Where were they all this time when their testimonies were bandied about by the “Turkish press” as proof of Brunson’s culpability? There are tens of thousands of Turks incarcerated, some well-known abroad, including Osman Kavala, the NGO leader and Ahmet Altan, a journalist and novelist, who have been subjected to similar calumnies Brunson has had to endure. But since they are Turkish citizens, they are unlikely to be saved. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5423893/andrew-brunson-turkey-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5423893/andrew-brunson-turkey-trump/"},"headline":"Why the Trump Administration and Turkey Don’t Win in Pastor Andrew Brunson’s Release","datePublished":"2018-10-12T23:03:27.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:44:11.787Z","description":"Brunson’s release may remove one irritant in the Turkish-American relationship. 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