Erdogan hopes US, Turkey will continue cooperation as allies

By  Trend

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said expressed hope that US and Turkey will continue their cooepration.

“Dear Mr. President, as I always pointed out, the Turkish judiciary reached its decision independently,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

“I hope that the United States and Turkey will continue their cooperation as the allies that they are, and fight together against terrorist groups," Erdogan added.

A Turkish court ruled on Friday to release the US evangelical Christian pastor Andrew Brunson at the center of a bitter diplomatic row between Ankara and Washington, a move that could be the first step toward mending ties between the NATO allies.

The court passed a 3 years and 1-1/2 month sentence on Brunson, who had been charged with terrorism offences, but said he would not serve any further time because he had already been detained since October 2016.