President Trump celebrated the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson from Turkey on Twitter and revealed Brunson will visit the White House on Saturday.

"It will be wonderful to see and meet him. He is a great Christian who has been through such a tough experience," he wrote.


Brunson was released by Turkey on Friday after two years in prison. He was arrested in 2016 following a coup attempt against against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Trump thanked Saturday morning.

Erdogan had last year proposed exchanging Brunson for cleric Fetullah Gulen, whom Erdogan alleges was involved in the coup attempt. The Trump administration had later sanctioned two senior Turkish officials, and Trump had promoted increases in tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum. But Trump celebrated Saturday there was no deal made with the country for Brunson's return.

"I don't make deals for hostages. There was, however, great appreciation on behalf of the United States, which will lead to good, perhaps great, relations between the United States & Turkey!" he wrote.


Brunson was convicted of aiding terrorism and sentenced to more than three years in prison by a Turkish court this week, but was released for time served.