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The
case of Andrew Brunson, whose next regular court hearing is on
Oct. 12, has become the most divisive issue in a worsening
diplomatic row between Ankara and Washington that has triggered
a punishing regime of U.S. sanctions and tariffs against Turkey.
"We will appeal tomorrow to the Constitutional Court to lift the
house arrest," lawyer Ismail Cem Halavurt told Reuters on
Tuesday.
The evangelical pastor is charged with links to Kurdish
militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed
by Turkey for a failed coup attempt in 2016. He has denied the
accusation - as has Gulen - and Washington has demanded his
immediate release.
On Monday, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was determined
to fight, within legal and diplomatic frameworks, "this crooked
understanding, which imposes sanctions using the excuse of a
pastor who is tried due to his dark links with terror
organizations."
Halavurt said he did not expect the constitutional court to make
a ruling before the Oct. 12 hearing, "but we want to have
completed our appeal before (then)".
Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for two decades, has been
detained for 21 months on terrorism charges and is currently
under house arrest.
Donald Trump, who counts evangelical Christians among his core
supporters, has become a vocal champion of the pastor's case.
The U.S. president believed he and Erdogan had agreed a deal to
release him in July as part of a wider agreement, but Ankara has
denied this.
(Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by
Daren Butler and John Stonestreet)
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