[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S3270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



            Calling for the Release of Pastor Andrew Brunson

  Mr. TILLIS. Madam President, I wish to speak briefly. I thank the 
Democratic leader for giving me the opportunity to speak for 5 minutes 
to do what I have done every week for the past couple of months and 
what I will do every week until we get a resolution; that is, to talk 
about Pastor Brunson, a Presbyterian minister who has been in prison in 
Turkey since October of 2016.
  As best as we can tell, the only thing Pastor Brunson is guilty of is 
being a missionary who has committed 20 years of his life to working 
with people in Turkey who want to hear the Word of God. That is it. We 
can talk about--I will not today because my time is limited--all the 
trumped-up charges I witnessed when I spent 12 hours in a Turkish 
courtroom a couple of months ago or that I discussed with Pastor 
Brunson about 3 weeks earlier when I visited him in a prison.
  Today what I want to talk about is relevant to the national defense 
authorization and the work we have done in committee to put Turkey on 
notice that this is unacceptable.
  Turkey has been an ally of the United States since 1952. The NATO 
alliance commits every member of NATO to send their men and women in 
uniform into harm's way to defend the national security of a nation of 
the alliance. We have that with Turkey; we have since 1952.
  Over the past month or so, we have seen a would-be adversary in North 
Korea release three prisoners, we have seen Venezuela release a 
prisoner, but in Turkey, since October of 2016, we have seen them hold 
a man for almost a year and a half without charges. Then I saw a man go 
before a court--and I witnessed for a whole day--being subjected to 
some of the most absurd charges possible. Next week, when I have more 
time, I will get into those.
  I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who voted to put a 
provision in the national defense authorization that really makes us 
wonder whether we have to rethink our relationship with Turkey, 
particularly around the Joint Strike Fighter. The Joint Strike Fighter 
is one of the most sophisticated tactical fighters that has ever flown; 
arguably, the most sophisticated. Turkey is a NATO ally and, as such, 
they have access to that weapons system. In fact, they manufacture a 
lot of the critical parts for it.
  What we offered in the NDAA is an examination of whether that 
relationship makes sense; No. 1, because of the way they are treating 
one of our American citizens, not letting him come back home, he and 
his wife; and No. 2, if that is the behavior of a NATO ally, is that 
really where we should be putting, in our supply chains and in our 
defensive systems, one of the most sophisticated weapons, one of the 
most important weapons in our arsenal. I, for one, think we have to 
look at it.
  Until the Turkish Government recognizes that they are illegally 
holding Pastor Brunson, and a number of others, then I think we have to 
put the spotlight on them and hold them accountable. If I have an 
obligation, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the 
Senate, to defend their integrity, they have an obligation to treat our 
American citizens with respect.
  We have the amendment in the NDAA. We also have another amendment we 
may offer. We need to make Turkey know we believe our alliance with 
them is important, but it is also important to treat American citizens 
who are not guilty of a crime with respect and bring Pastor Brunson 
home.
  I yield the floor.