Update on Andrew Bunson

Dear friends,
We have been encouraged by the news earlier this week that President Trump and Vice President Pence urged Turkish President Erdoğan to release Andrew Brunson. However, I am disheartened to tell you that apparently the Turkish response to that meeting on Tuesday is a statement of significant accusations against Andrew.
Turkish media is reporting today that Andrew is being accused of being a “Kurdish sympathizer” and a “Gülenist.” These are serious charges, and Andrew needs our prayers more than ever.

Hurriyet, the leading English-language news outlet in Turkey, reported that prosecutors are citing Brunson for “delivering sermons to the Kurds with a ‘special purpose.’” This seems to imply that they believe Andrew has expressed support for an ethnic group that Turkey is currently waging a military campaign against. The Kurds are a minority group in Turkey (primarily located in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country, as well in Iran, Iraq, and Syria) and for many years have unsuccessfully pressed for more autonomy. 
Yeni Şafak, a staunchly pro-Erdoğan news outlet, published an article yesterday under the headline “FETO Chaplain” that condemned Andrew for supporting Islamic cleric Fethulah Gülen, who has lived in the United States since 1999. Gülen leads a loose organization involved largely in education but also in other areas. Gülen and Erdoğan are former allies who had a falling out in 2012 or so, and in 2015 the Turkish government labeled his movement the Fethullahist Terror Organization, or FETO, and classified it as terrorist. Erdoğan blames Gülen and FETO for leading a coup attempt against him last summer that ultimately failed (a charge Gülen denies).

I cannot stress enough how significant these accusations are. In fact, the Turkish government views them as nothing less than treason. 

Friends, it is time to redouble our prayer efforts. Please take time in your worship services this weekend to plead to the Lord on Andrew’s behalf! Also, please make the members of your congregation aware of this turn in Andrew’s situation.  

Thank you and God bless you,
Jeff