ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A court in Turkey has rejected another appeal for the release of US pastor Andrew Brunson, who is held under house arrest in the Turkish city of Izmir on terrorism charges.
The ruling was issued on Wednesday afternoon, according to state media channel TRT.
Brunson’s lawyer Cem Halavurt told AFP the appeal would be taken to a higher court.
The tariff hikes caused the already struggling lira to nosedive against the dollar, rattling the economies of Turkey's Asian allies.
Ankara retaliated on Wednesday morning by imposing its own tariffs on a raft of US-origin products.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Turkey's long-time NATO ally of starting an "economic war". Further punitive US tariffs are expected in response to the court ruling.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday: “The president has a great deal of frustration (about) the pastor not being released.”
Turkey accuses Brunson, who has been held in detention for two years, of fostering ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and FETO and of involvement in the attempted coup of 2016. Brunson denies the allegations, and no evidence has been presented to substantiate the claims.
Observers believe Brunson is being held hostage by the Turkish state, which hopes to exchange the pastor for Muhammed Fethullah Gulen – the US-based Turkish cleric accused by Ankara of plotting the 2016 coup.
US courts, which are independent of the executive, have refused to extradite Gulen.
Last updated 2.32 p.m.
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