FILE PHOTO: Andrew Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina, U.S. who has been in jail in Turkey since December 2016, is seen in this undated picture taken in Izmir, Turkey. Depo Photos via REUTERS
April 16, 2018
IZMIR, Turkey (Reuters) – A U.S. pastor denied allegations of links to a group accused of orchestrating a failed military coup in Turkey on Monday as he went on trial in a case that has fueled strains in relations between Ankara and Washington.
“I do not accept the charges mentioned in the indictment. I was never involved in any illegal activities,” Andrew Brunson, speaking in Turkish, told the court in the western Turkish province of Izmir.
(Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by David Dolan)
