Update: American Pastor Andrew Brunson remains in prison in Turkey

The next time Andrew Brunson appears in court, on 12 October, he will have been in prison in Turkey for two years – without having been convicted of a crime. Andrew is an American pastor who has led a small church in the Turkish city of Izmir since 1993. He was arrested in October 2016, accused of having links with supporters of the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, who is blamed for the failed 2016 coup against President Erdogan, and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Andrew denies all the charges. His lawyer, Ismail Cem Halavurt, says there is ‘evidence that shows Brunson was arrested due to his faith’. 

The next time Andrew Brunson appears in court, he will have been in prison in Turkey for two years – without having been convicted of a crime.

Andrew is an American pastor who has led a small church in the Turkish city of Izmir since 1993. He was arrested in October 2016, accused of having links with supporters of the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, who is blamed for the failed 2016 coup against President Erdogan, and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

Andrew denies all the charges. His lawyer, Ismail Cem Halavurt, says there is ‘evidence that shows Brunson was arrested due to his faith’.

On Wednesday 18 July, at his third hearing, Andrew told the court in Turkish, “It is really hard to stay in jail and be separated from my wife and children.” Andrew has missed his daughter’s wedding during his imprisonment.

For nearly two hours during the hearing, former church members testified against Andrew, making vague, unsubstantiated accusations.  When the judge asked Andrew to reply to the witnesses, he said, “My faith teaches me to forgive, so I forgive those who testified against me.”

According to Andrew’s lawyer, he should have been granted conditional release on Wednesday as the investigation against him is now complete. The head judge, however, refused to acquit Andrew or grant him conditional release, allegedly due to the serious nature of ‘terrorism’ charges and the fact that he’s an American citizen.

And so, he must remain in prison until his next hearing, on 12 October. If found guilty, he could face 35 years in prison.

Persecution in Turkey

Turkey is number 31 on the 2018 World Watch List, Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Christians make up a tiny minority in Turkey – there are just 190,000 believers out of a population of 80.4 million.

Islam is seen as part of being Turkish, so those who choose to follow a different faith are seen to be rejecting their national identity. Although Christians are not directly targeted by the government, the regime has openly declared Sunni Islam to be the religious norm in the country, marginalising Christians and other minorities. Christians from Muslim backgrounds face pressure from their families and communities to return to Islam, and some have been placed under house arrest by their families for refusing to do so.

Please pray for our church family in Turkey, and for Andrew Brunson and his family. Please pray:

• For comfort for Andrew and his family
• That the Lord will have his hand on all the legal and diplomatic efforts on Andrew's behalf
• That Andrew will soon be free
• For protection and encouragement for other believers in Turkey, especially those from Muslim backgrounds.

Source: World Watch Monitor, Middle East Concern