Congressional Leaders Seek Release of American Pastor Unjustly Detained in Turkey

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees today in sending a letter signed by 78 members of Congress to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an seeking the unconditional release of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been unjustly detained in Turkey since October and denied regular and appropriate access to legal counsel and American consular services. The letter was led by Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), the chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Other members of Congress who signed the letter include: Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AZ), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), James M. Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-VA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Joe Manchin III (D-WV), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Ron Paul (R-KY), David Perdue (R-GA), Rob Portman (R-OH), James E. Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN); and Representatives Robert B. Aderholt (R-AK), Brian Babin (R-TX), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Mike Bost (R-IL), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Ted Budd (R-NC), David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Gerry E. Connolly (D-VA), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Garret Graves (R-LA), Bill Flores (R-TX), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Thomas A. Garrett Jr. (R-VA), George Holding (R-NC), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Randy Hultgren (R-IL), Walter B. Jones (R-NC), David P. Joyce (R-OH), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Tom Marino (R-PA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC), Mark Meadows (R-NC), Robert Pittenger (R-NC), Ted Poe (R-TX), David E. Price (D-NC), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Peter J. Roskam

A copy of the letter is available here.