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Israel Freed Turkish Detainee at Trump's Request
(Washington Post) Carol D. Leonnig - President Trump thought he had a deal with Turkish President Erdogan to free Andrew Brunson, the American pastor imprisoned in Turkey for the last two years on what the administration considered bogus terrorism charges. As part of the deal, on July 14, Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to release Ebru Ozkan, 27, a Turkish woman who was detained in Israel on charges of acting as a smuggler for Hamas. The day after Trump and Netanyahu spoke, Ozkan was deported from Israel. Several U.S. officials insisted there had been no misunderstanding of the terms of the deal, but the Turks, transferring Brunson to house arrest, failed to send the pastor home. On Thursday, after a rancorous phone call with Erdogan, Trump said the U.S. "will impose large sanctions" on Turkey and that "this innocent man of faith should be released immediately." A Trump adviser said the Turks had cheated by "upping the ante" for Brunson.