Pompeo: Despite tensions, Turkey remains a key US ally

SINGAPORE

Mike Pompeo says that despite tensions over the detention of an American pastor and other deep differences, Turkey remains a key NATO ally.

Pompeo told reporters on Aug. 4 that the U.S. "has every intention of continuing to work cooperatively" with Turkey, even after the Trump administration hit two senior Turkish officials with sanctions due to the continued detention of pastor Andrew Brunson.

"I’m very hopeful that we will make progress on that in the days and weeks ahead," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

Pompeo met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu at an Asian security forum in Singapore on Aug. 3. As a result of that, he was hopeful Brunson’s case, along with the cases of three detained local State Department employees, would be resolved in the coming days.

Brunson is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges that he and the U.S. government vehemently deny.