WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) took to the Senate floor to speak on North Carolina native Andrew Brunson, who has been wrongfully imprisoned by the Turkish Government since October 7, 2016.
Click HERE to watch the floor speech.
Tillis on Turkey’s sincerity on releasing Pastor Brunson:
“When I talk to Turkish officials, they say, ‘you've got to respect our justice system, this just has to play out.’ But I really wonder if they're sincere, because several months ago President Erdogan, the President of Turkey, made a public statement saying, ‘how about this -- we'll give you your pastor if you give us our pastor.’…But let me tell you what's interesting about making that offer in the context of the other elected officials, including President Erdogan, saying we just have to let our legal process play out. How can you say your hands are tied but on the other hand make a hostage swap request or what they would request to be a hostage swap request?”
Tillis on Turkey’s recent offer:
“A week ago…there is a new exchange on the table. If we drop a case against the Turkish bank, which has risen to our level of jurisprudence so they're going to have to go through our legal process, they said, ‘if you drop that case in the U.S. judicial system -- then we'll release Pastor Brunson.’ Clearly, Turkey has the authority to release Pastor Brunson. Turkey has the authority to release a NASA scientist who happened to be visiting his family who's been in prison for almost three years now and has a seven-year sentence or another four and a half years ahead of him. They have the authority to release them.”
Tillis on NATO allies:
“Turkey is a NATO ally. No NATO ally in the history of the alliance has ever illegally detained a citizen from one of their partner countries, but that's exactly what's happened here since October of 2016. I hope that this is the last time that I have to come to this floor to talk about releasing Pastor Brunson. I hope next week, I'm coming to the floor thanking the Turkish leadership for doing the right thing, thanking them for letting Pastor Brunson and his wife Norine to come back to the United States and advocating with Turkey as a partner that's very important, but none of that can happen as long as Pastor Brunson and the others I've mentioned are illegally in prison.”
Click HERE to watch the floor speech.
Tillis on Turkey’s sincerity on releasing Pastor Brunson:
“When I talk to Turkish officials, they say, ‘you've got to respect our justice system, this just has to play out.’ But I really wonder if they're sincere, because several months ago President Erdogan, the President of Turkey, made a public statement saying, ‘how about this -- we'll give you your pastor if you give us our pastor.’…But let me tell you what's interesting about making that offer in the context of the other elected officials, including President Erdogan, saying we just have to let our legal process play out. How can you say your hands are tied but on the other hand make a hostage swap request or what they would request to be a hostage swap request?”
Tillis on Turkey’s recent offer:
“A week ago…there is a new exchange on the table. If we drop a case against the Turkish bank, which has risen to our level of jurisprudence so they're going to have to go through our legal process, they said, ‘if you drop that case in the U.S. judicial system -- then we'll release Pastor Brunson.’ Clearly, Turkey has the authority to release Pastor Brunson. Turkey has the authority to release a NASA scientist who happened to be visiting his family who's been in prison for almost three years now and has a seven-year sentence or another four and a half years ahead of him. They have the authority to release them.”
Tillis on NATO allies:
“Turkey is a NATO ally. No NATO ally in the history of the alliance has ever illegally detained a citizen from one of their partner countries, but that's exactly what's happened here since October of 2016. I hope that this is the last time that I have to come to this floor to talk about releasing Pastor Brunson. I hope next week, I'm coming to the floor thanking the Turkish leadership for doing the right thing, thanking them for letting Pastor Brunson and his wife Norine to come back to the United States and advocating with Turkey as a partner that's very important, but none of that can happen as long as Pastor Brunson and the others I've mentioned are illegally in prison.”
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