A criminal court in İzmir ruled on July 25 that American Pastor Andrew Brunson could be moved from jail to house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet and a restriction on leaving Turkey. The court justified the decision by saying the evidence in the indictment against Brunson had been complete and house arrest would be better considering his health condition.
Before departing for South Africa on July 25 to join the BRICS meeting upon the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said the appointments for key bureaucratic positions could be completed within two weeks’ time. “It will not take too long,” the president said. “I think we can get the restructuring completed in 10-15 days, God willing.”
Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak signaled cuts in public spending to fight inflation and cool the economy down during a meeting with top business representatives in Istanbul on July 24.
In his Twitter message late on July 22, United States President Donald Trump said the following: “To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!” The original message was written in capital letters, which for social media users is like shouting instead of talking.
My heart bled for Enis Berberoğlu, my friend and colleague for thirtysomething years, when I read a statement he made from Istanbul’s Maltepe Prison on July 21.
A few hours after a Turkish court ruled to keep American pastor Andrew Brunson in jail on July 18, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a message on Twitter about the case. “A total disgrace that Turkey will not release a respected U.S. Pastor, Andrew Brunson, from prison. He has been held hostage far too long. @RT_Erdogan should do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father. He has done nothing wrong, and his family needs him!” Trump tweeted.
Here are the rulings of some court hearings from yesterday, July 18:
British Environment Secretary Michael Gove reportedly said he regretted to “stoke fears about Turkish immigration” in the Brexit Referendum in 2016.
Turkish Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül announced on July 16 that the state of emergency, which was declared two years ago immediately after the July 15, 2016 military coup attempt, would come to an end within a few days. That means no voting in parliament will take place then and the emergency rule will stop by midnight of July 18.
