The tension between the US and Turkey got tighter as President Donald J. Trump threatens to place "large sanctions" on its ally country if they do not release American pastor, Andrew Brunson.
In response, the Turkish government under President Tayyip Erdogan lambast Washington's threat of sanctions as very uncalled for.
"The United States must reconsider its approach and adopt a constructive position before inflicting further damage to its own interests and its alliance with Turkey," a statement from Erdogan's spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, was quoted by Reuters.
The pressure campaign from the Trump administration follows a day after a new court ruling places Brunson under house arrest due to unspecified health concerns.
Still, these new developments in Brunson's case couldn't alleviate the already-straining relationship shared between Ankara and the White House.
The POTUS called Bunson "a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being," in his Twitter post.
In a subsequent posting, Trump expressed his displeasure over the Turkish situation, demanding that "this innocent man of faith" be released rather "immediately."
Trump's VP, Mike Pence shared the same sentiment. In a statement made during the Ministerial on Religious Freedom conference at the US State Department, the devout Christian went on to pose similar threats to the detaining party saying, "Release Pastor Andrew Brunson now or be prepared to face the consequences."
He added that the US government "will impose significant sanctions on Turkey" until the aforementioned individual be given his full freedom.
Brunson, who hails from North Carolina, has lived in Turkey for over 20 years. On October 7, 2016, the minister was taken into custody by Turkish authorities on charges of espionage and membership in a terrorist organization.
Official documents from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom indicate that Brunson was denied access to legal representation. Moreover, he was forbidden to make contact with the US Consulate office in Istanbul, even with a representative from the office.
For 21 months prior his current house arrest status, Brunson was held in detention centers reportedly deemed unfit to serve the purpose. For example, upon his arrest, the pastor was placed in a small cell along with more than 20 other inmates.
The Brunson detention case has become a personal issue both for Trump and Pence for some quite obvious reasons.
As stated by Reuters, the US evangelical community had played a significant part in Trump and Pence's victory during the 2016 US Presidential election.
