TEHRAN (Reuters) - A witness who testified in the US pastor Andrew Bronson, a detainee in Turkey, has "changed his testimony," Turkish media said.According to a reporter for NTV, which follows the proceedings of the trial session on Friday, witness Levant Calkan said that he had been "misunderstood", after he had testified earlier against Brunson.
The US priest, who raised his arrest and then put him under house arrest in Turkey is a serious crisis between Ankara and Washington, again Friday in a Turkish court, against the backdrop of strong US pressure for his release.
The session, which will be held at the end of the court on the issue of the release of the priest, began at 8:00 am in the court of Ali Agha to the north of Izmir in western Turkey.
Brunson was the head of a small church in Izmir. Since the end of July, he has been under house arrest after being held for a year and a half on charges of "terrorism" and "espionage," which he categorically denies.
US President Donald Trump called Brunson "a great patriot" and said he was being held as a "hostage."
Before his visit to the priest last week, his lawyer Tjim Halafort said his client was "in good health and morale high," but "the anxious wait continues."
Earlier this month, the lawyer filed a petition with the Constitutional Court to release the priest, saying he believed "the court will make the case a priority but a final judgment may take several months."
His arrest and subsequent arrest in Turkey led to a sharp diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the United States. Washington imposed a series of sanctions on Ankara, which responded with similar measures on the issue.
