Turkish court rejects US cleric Brunson’s appeal for release

A Turkish court has rejected an appeal to release American Christian cleric Andrew Brunson from house arrest, broadcaster Haberturk said Friday.

Brunson, an Evangelical pastor residing in the coastal province of Izmir, is standing trial in Turkey over terrorism charges. His case now lies at the heart of a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the United States that has prompted a crash of Turkey’s lira currency.

The lira, which has lost some 40 percent of its value this year, weakened beyond 6.21 against the U.S. dollar after the news, from 6.04 beforehand.