Secret witnesses in the case of U.S. pastor Andrew Craig Brunson have come forth with shocking claims, alleging that he welcomed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) sympathizers and organized secret meetings at the Evangelical Resurrection Church.
In a statement dated July 20, 2017, M.C. stated that he became Christian 13 years ago at a church in Turkey’s Izmir and consistently attended congregations. M.C. met Brunson and someone called Erik Wiger in 2008 at the Resurrection Church, and observed that the pastor attempted to Christianize Kurds while Wiger was constantly traveling overseas.
“I clearly saw in the masses I attended that these individuals (Brunson and Wiger) had serious plans for the Kurdish people. They were very interested in them. When Erik Wiger was in Turkey, he especially conducted activities in the southeast. I heard this from H.T., who met with him in Turkey and is also a Christian who serves in the Navy. I think that Brunson and Wiger work for American intelligence services. These individuals always support Kurds in Turkey and used to say that ‘South Kurdistan’ would be established,” M.C. said in the indictment.
Secret witness “Göktaşı” claimed that there is a link between the PKK and Brunson, adding that many Syrian migrants and Kurds visit the Resurrection Church, and that they are led by Syrian national known only as Mehmet and B.Y., who are members of the PKK cadre.
Göktaşı stated that various individuals, one called Emin and another dubbed Agit, disappeared suddenly after periods of regularly visiting the church. Göktaşı said that he believes that these individuals went to join the PKK’s cadre up in the mountains during their mysterious disappearances.
The secret witness added that sometimes the church would host meetings that were not previously set, and that Brunson’s wife Norin and Kurdish leaders B.Y., Syrian Mehmet and Agit would participate. Göktaşı said that nobody from the church congregation was allowed to attend, and that sometimes the meetings would be held in Brunson’s home.
Göktaşı claimed that once Brunson was imprisoned, B.Y. took leadership of the church and organized activities in support of the PKK. The secret witness added that hundreds of Arabic Bibles and references were printed at a firm called M.Y. to teach Kurds and Christians in Syria Christianity.
G.D., who served as assistant pastor at Izmir’s St. Antoine Church between 2005 and 2011, said t-shirts emblazoned with the PKK’s so-called emblem arrived at the Resurrection Church during some church services, and terror sympathizers spoke in favor of the PKK.
The indictment states that photographs of decryption efforts for terrorists of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) were shown to G.D., and it was found that Brunson was in close contact with FETÖ-linked M.S. and the terror group’s Aegean region administrator Bekir Baz’s assistant.
Brunson is charged with spying for the PKK -- a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Turkey -- and FETÖ, the group behind the defeated July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey which martyred 251 people and injured thousands.
Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül for not releasing the pastor. The sanctions were followed by U.S President Donald Trump increasing tariffs on Turkish imports, which Turkey responded to by imposing customs duties on several U.S.-origin products, including alcohol and tobacco products and cars.
