Trump asks Turkey to release jailed U.S. pastor

International religious liberty advocates are praising President Donald Trump for prodding his Turkish counterpart about the plight of a U.S. pastor jailed in Turkey last year. Officials arrested Andrew Brunson in the roundup following last year’s failed coup attempt. They accused him of being a “national security risk.” Brunson, a North Carolina native, has lived in Turkey for 23 years. At the time of his arrest in October, he was serving as pastor of Izmir Resurrection Church and had helped establish a ministry to refugees. Through the U.S. Embassy in March, Brunson issued a plea to Trump to “fight” for his release. Trump and Erdogan had their first face-to-face meeting Tuesday in Washington. In a post-meeting statement, the White House said Trump asked Erdogan to “expeditiously return” Brunson to the United States. The American Center for Law and Justice, which is advocating for Brunson’s release, hailed the news as “significant progress.”