U.S. eases sanctions on Turkey after Brunson’s release

The United States on Friday lifted sanctions on two top Turkish officials after last month’s release of jailed American pastor Andrew Brunson. The U.S. Treasury Department in August imposed sanctions on Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu over their roles in the arrest of Brunson, who had lived in Turkey for 23 years and was detained after an attempted coup in 2016. He returned to the United States last month after a Turkish court gave him a three-year sentence on trumped-up terrorism charges but released him for time served. The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded by lifting bans on U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.