US pastor freed in Turkey after 'secret deal'

A Turkish court yesterday ordered the release of an American pastor held for the last two years in Turkey, in a case that sparked a crisis in ties with the United States.

The court in the western town of Aliaga convicted Andrew Brunson on terror-related charges and sentenced him to three years, one month and 15 days in jail, an AFP correspondent said.

However, he was freed taking into account time served and his good conduct in the trial, with the court lifting his house arrest and overseas travel ban, the correspondent added.

Brunson's detention since 2016 caused not just one of the worst diplomatic rows of recent times between Nato allies Turkey and the US, but also a crash in the Turkish lira which exposed the country's economic fragility.

Turkish judicial authorities have repeatedly denied requests for the release of Brunson, who was moved from prison to house arrest in the city of Izmir in July. It was not immediately clear where Brunson would go next, although some reports suggested he could fly to the United States imminently.

US broadcaster NBC said Turkey and the United States had reached a secret deal for Brunson to be released yesterday and some charges against him dropped, in exchange for the US easing "economic pressure" that included sanctions which have hammered the lira.

But Turkey insists the judiciary is independent and US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said she was "not aware" of any such deal.