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Letter to his Exellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey - Release of Pastor Brunson

Letter

By: G. K. Butterfield, Jr., Robert Aderholt, Zoe Lofgren, Lois Frankel, Steve Scalise, George Holding, Virginia Foxx, Robert Pittenger, Ted Budd, Joe Crowley, David Cicilline, Jodey Arrington, Ro Khanna, Ken Buck, Mike Bost, John Sarbanes, Kevin Cramer, Albio Sires, Bill Johnson, Kevin Brady, Liz Cheney, French Hill, Darren Soto, John Yarmuth, Bill Huizenga, Gregg Harper, Jeff Duncan, Jeb Hensarling, Bob Goodlatte, Evan Jenkins, Doug LaMalfa, Brian Mast, Larry Bucshon, Bob Latta, Michael McCaul, Alex Mooney, Mike Rogers, Dana Rohrabacher, Bill Posey, Buddy Carter, Peter Roskam, Kevin Yoder, Steve Pearce, Steve Russell, Keith Rothfus, Kristi Noem, Pete Olson, Dave Brat, Jim Banks, Gene Green, Brett Guthrie, Mark Walker, Trent Kelly, Tom Graves, Jr., Ruben Gallego, Nanette Barragán, Dan Lipinski, Emanuel Cleaver II, David Price, Richard Hudson, Jr., Alma Adams, Joshua Gottheimer, Earl Blumenauer, Mike Conaway, Don Beyer, Jr., Doris Matsui, Brad Sherman, David Scott, Ralph Abraham, Jamie Raskin, Carol Shea-Porter, Jacky Rosen, Warren Davidson, Chris Stewart, Ron DeSantis, Rodney Davis, Andy Harris, Vicky Hartzler, Thomas Suozzi, Louie Gohmert, Bill Flores, Glenn Grothman, Mo Brooks, Duncan Hunter, Barry Loudermilk, Roger Marshall, Markwayne Mullin, Lamar Smith, Bruce Westerman, Ted Yoho, Gus Bilirakis, Steve King, Todd Rokita, Dave Trott, Brad Wenstrup, GT Thompson, Jr., Tom Rice, John Ratcliffe, Pete Sessions, Lacy Clay, Jr., Chuck Fleischmann, Rick Crawford, John Duncan, Jr., Jim Jordan, Patrick McHenry, Andy Biggs, Ed Royce, Rick Allen, Jim McGovern, Walter Jones, Jr., David Rouzer, Mark Meadows, Annie Kuster, Eliot Engel, Joe Barton, Brian Babin, Paul Cook, Ted Lieu, Bobby Rush, Dutch Ruppersberger, Mike Bishop, Chris Smith, Gregory Meeks, Marcy Kaptur, Cathy Rodgers, Matt Gaetz, Jody Hice, Garret Graves, Tom Emmer, Greg Gianforte, Scott DesJarlais, Kay Granger, Peter Welch, Martha McSally, Doug Lamborn, Adam Kinzinger, John Moolenaar, Ted Poe, David McKinley, Gary Palmer, Scott Tipton, Daniel Webster, Rob Woodall, Jackie Walorski, Tim Walberg, Claudia Tenney, Scott Perry, Lloyd Smucker, Phil Roe, Roger Williams, Dina Titus, Randy Hultgren, Joe Wilson, Sr., Austin Scott
Date: May 7, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Foreign Affairs

Dear Mr. President,

It has now been over a year and a half since Turkish authorities detained Pastor Andrew Brunson, a law-abiding American citizen resident in Turkey since 1993, for alleged involvement in terrorism.

Pastor Brunson's detention and formal arrest followed the Turkish government's imposition of a State of Emergency after a violent coup attempt in July 2016 rightly opposed by Turks across the political spectrum. The United States has condemned the coup and respects the legitimate efforts of the Turkish government to ensure its perpetrators face justice and the Turkish nation is protected from any repetition of the coup attempt. The Congress supports the ongoing efforts to strengthen law enforcement cooperation between U.S. agencies and their Turkish counterparts, including with regard to investigating alleged participants in the coup plot.

However, we are deeply disturbed that the Turkish government has gone beyond legitimate action against the coup plotters to undermine Turkey's own rule of law and democratic traditions. Under the State of Emergency, tens of thousands of Turkey's own citizens as well as some citizens of the United States and other countries have been arrested, dismissed from employment or otherwise seen their lives destroyed on vague charges and dubious evidence. These actions by the government of Turkey are inconsistent with the commitment to law and justice that have historically been hallmarks of Turkish democracy.

That the Turkish government has consistently ignored bipartisan expressions of concern from the Congress has also been cause for concern. Nonetheless, we chose to respect the working of the Turkish judicial system and await a just outcome.

On March 13, 2018, Turkish authorities issued an indictment alleging and purportedly detailing Pastor Brunson's offenses. It is an absurd collection of anonymous accusations, flights of fantasy, and random character assassination. It is an insult not only to an unjustly imprisoned individual, but to the traditions of Turkish jurisprudence. That a Turkish court could accept such a document as the basis for prosecution removes any shred of doubt that Andrew Brunson, as well as other American citizens and Turkish employees of the U.S. Government detained under the State of Emergency, is being used as a political pawn by elements of the Turkish government bent on destroying the longstanding partnership between two great nations. Moreover, the suggestion in the indictment that the actions of Pastor Brunson, to explain his religious convictions to others, were somehow meant to undermine the Turkish state brings a new and deeply disturbing dimension to the case. It should trouble all Turks justly proud of Turkey's centuries-old tradition of welcoming believers of all faiths.

The United States Government, and millions of Americans deeply concerned by the Brunson case, have been patient, in the hope that justice would be done and Pastor Brunson would be reunited with his family. The signatories of this letter have concluded that other measures will be necessary to ensure that the Government of Turkey respects the right of law-abiding citizens and employees of the United States to travel to, reside in, and work in Turkey without fear of persecution.

Sincerely,


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