Pastor's Wife Begs Rex Tillerson to Help Husband in Turkey Prison

By Julie Brown Patton
Brunsons
Norine Brunson, wife of Andrew Brunson, the American pastor imprisoned in Turkey on terrorism charges, met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Ankara on Thursday after her husband told her days earlier the Lord said she would soon meet America's top diplomat. Facebook

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met Thursday in Ankara, Turkey, with the wife of a jailed American pastor, Andrew Brunson, a State Department official said on Friday.

Brunson is a missionary who has been held in Turkey since October on charges of being part of a terrorist organization, according to news reports. The pastor and his wife, Norine Brunson, initially were detained on immigration violation charges in October, when they were operating a small Christian church in the city of Izmir on Turkey's western coast, media reports state. Norine was released shortly after, but Andrew was kept in jail and accused of being part of terrorist activities.

The couple has been serving in Turkey since 1993.

"On Monday, Andrew told me he felt the Lord had said I would meet with Sec of State Tillerson. On Tuesday, I was told by the embassy and another senator that the meeting would NOT happen. I decided to come to Ankara anyway and arrived last night," Norine Brunson wrote on Facebook Thursday, just after she met for 20 minutes with Tillerson.

Turkish media reports state Brunson has been charged with membership of the Gulenist Terror Organization, the term which Turkish authorities use to refer to the network of U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, reports Yahoo News.

‎"Secretary of State Tillerson wanted to make sure he met with Mrs. Brunson to share the most recent information he had on Pastor Brunson's case. The Secretary ‎committed to staying in touch with Mrs. Brunson regarding the case moving forward," the state official said.

Gulen and his followers were accused of being behind an attempted coup in Turkey last July. Gulen rejects the allegations.

The case against Brunson allegedly is linked to a larger crackdown against anyone who the Erdogan regime deems an enemy. Christians, people suspected of supporting Kurdish rebels, and suspected followers of a U.S.-based cleric named Fethullah Gulen, have all been targeted by Erdogan's government.

Tillerson was in Ankara reportedly only to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and senior government ministers for talks about the conflict in neighboring Syria. The former CEO at ExxonMobil had shown no indication he would meet with Norine Brunson.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with Tillerson that Ankara expected Washington to take concrete steps on the extradition of Gulen, calling for his detention in the United States.

Jordan Sekulow, the executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, told the Daily Caller Tillerson's meeting with Norine Brunson is a positive development in the case to help free Andrew.

"I plead with my government, with the Trump Administration, to fight for me," Andrew Brunson wrote in a letter to U.S. embassy officials this week asking for intervention to help him.

"I do not know what will come of it, considering the sensitive period Turkey is in, but was grateful for the opportunity," Norine Brunson wrote of her meeting with Tillerson.

According to TheDC, State Department representatives declined to provide details about Tillerson's meetings with Norine Brunson and Erdogan:  "We're aware of Mrs. Brunson's statement. We continue to engage with the Government of Turkey on behalf of Andrew Brunson. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment."

    Most Popular
  • Is 'The Last Supper' worth watching? Audience and critics weigh in

    Is 'The Last Supper' worth watching? Audience and critics weigh in

    Faith-based films often receive mixed reactions, and The Last Supper is no exception. The movie attempts to bring a fresh perspective to one of the most iconic moments in Christian history, but does it succeed? Some reviews from critics and audiences provide insight into its strengths and shortcomings.

  • ‘The Chosen’ Season 5: The darkest season yet—What to know before watching

    The wait is over—The Chosen is back with its fifth season, and this time, things are getting intense. The new episodes dive straight into the final days of Jesus’ life, covering some of the most emotional and dramatic moments in the Bible. If you’ve been following the series, you already know that The Chosen isn’t just about retelling familiar stories—it’s about bringing them to life in a way that feels real.

  • Massacres in Syria: Over 1,000 dead, including Christians and Alawites

    Syria’s coastal regions have been devastated by a series of massacres, with reports indicating that over 1,000 people—many from Christian and Alawite communities—have been killed in brutal attacks. Entire families have been wiped out, and survivors are fleeing in search of safety as sectarian violence escalates.

  • Kim Sae-ron and Wheesung: The tragic irony of Korean society and the principles of happiness

    Not long ago, the media was in an uproar over actress Kim Sae-ron’s passing. Just months before, the same people who had relentlessly criticized her for her DUI incident were now expressing sympathy, saying, "The world was too harsh on her." The irony is impossible to ignore.

  • Newsboys move forward as a quartet after Michael Tait’s departure

    After more than a decade as the lead singer of the Newsboys, Michael Tait has officially parted ways with the band, marking a significant shift in the Christian rock group’s lineup. The remaining members—Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips, and Adam Agee—have assured fans that they will continue forward, embracing a new season of music and ministry.

Top Stories