"It seems to be the most expensive prisoner in Turkey," a journalist shouted near the courtroom where the decision to release US priest Andrew Branson was released in Izmir earlier this month.
It seems that this description is more accurate of the situation, after the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan concessions in the framework of a deal with the United States, but in return did not get anything.
According to the views of observers, Branson's three-year prison sentence was only a formality, to beautify his release and to show him as a purely judicial matter, but in fact the political interference in the case appears to be clear, especially since the judgment is detailed to have already been implemented so that Branson can leave His imprisonment, the whole of Turkey, immediately, something that has already happened.
Although Branson lived in Izmir with his 25-year-old wife, the Turkish authorities did not notice the fact that he was "accused of terrorism, espionage and associated with the PKK and the cleric Fathullah Gulen accused of masterminding the coup attempt in 2016," only in the last two years.
Branson's case has taken a political turn in recent months and has turned into a battleground between US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart. The former demands his release and the second says it is up to the courts.
But with Erdogan insisting on the "legality of the matter," he asked Washington to release Gulen, who lives in the United States, when he said in Septembre 2017: "You also have a cleric, give it to him and we will try to give you Branson." It is political rather than judicial.
After Branson's decision to set up his home last summer, Washington decided to take punitive economic measures that would aggravate Ankara's woes. Customs duties on Turkey's iron and aluminum exports have worsened, adversely affecting the lira and freezing the assets of its interior and justice ministers.
During the trial of October 12, everything seemed to be carefully arranged, and Branson stood alone in front of the judges and said only, "I am innocent, I love Christ and I love Turkey," while a number of witnesses retracted their testimony.
US press reports have reported a political deal between Erdogan and Trump out of court, with Ankara releasing the priest in exchange for some gains that would support the deteriorating economy, but Turkey has yet to reap the rewards.
So far, Washington has shown no sign of intentions to lift the sanctions, but has thrown the ball into Turkey's court and demanded it do more.
Following the launch of Branson, Washington quickly requested the release of others in Turkish prisons, including Sergean Golgi, the Turkish-American scientist in NASA and Turkish officials in the US diplomatic mission.
According to Foreign Policy columnist Julie Horney, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Turks that "the story will not end at Branson" and that "the rest of the American prisoners in Turkey should be released."
Moreover, even Washington's retraction of its sanctions may not help Ankara solve its complex economic dilemma that began before sanctions were imposed.
"The Kurdish issue has not been resolved, the Gulen case has not been resolved, the dispute over Jerusalem has not been resolved," Horini quoted Bulit Alireza, director of the Turkish project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, as saying.
