Trump Has Turkey on the Ropes

We have an idea that Obama would have NEVER pressured Turkey over their illegal detention of an American Christian Pastor whom Turkey accused of terrorism.

But Trump would have none of it!

He asked Turkey to release our citizen.  When they refused, he put tariffs on their products and started investigating a Turkish bank. 

Today Turkey's currency continues to fall against the US Dollar and now they are trying to figure out how they can get out of their own self-created mess.

The White House rejected Turkey's offer to release detained American pastor Andrew Brunson in exchange for the U.S. dropping an investigation into Turkish bank Halkbank, a senior White House official told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. 

Ankara offered to drop terrorism charges against Brunson if the U.S. pulled back the billions of dollars in fines it has brought against Halkbank. The U.S. reportedly declined the offer, setting in motion the possibility of further retaliatory measures against Turkey. 

"A real NATO ally wouldn't have arrested Brunson in the first place," the source told the Journal. 

The Trump administration has turned Brunson's detention into a rallying call among Christian conservatives, particularly evangelicals, and the president has feuded with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan openly over the American pastor. The U.S. has called the charges against him baseless. 

Brunson has been held for two years after being accused of aiding the group accused of orchestrating the failed July 2016 military coup in Turkey.     

A Turkish appeals court on Friday upheld Brunson's house arrest. 

Trump has threatened doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum from Turkey until Brunson is released. The White House has also sanctioned two top Turkish officials. 

"Turkey has taken advantage of the United States for many years. They are now holding our wonderful Christian Pastor, who I must now ask to represent our Country as a great patriot hostage. We will pay nothing for the release of an innocent man, but we are cutting back on Turkey!" Trump tweeted on Thursday. 


The clash between Turkey and U.S. has hurt Turkish markets, with its currency plummeting to record lows in recent months, the Journal reported.  

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/402588-white-house-rejects-turkeys-offer-to-release-detained-pastor-wsj?amp

God bless Donald Trump!  Please remember to keep him in your prayers!  He is far from being a perfect man, just like you and I are, but you gotta love what he does! 

As you read his Tweet above, think about Obama and his apology tour that he gave in Egypt were he denied American exceptionalism and bowed down to some Muslim nations who don't produce in a year what America produces in a day.