Turkey is an important ally, but remains a "real challenge", says Sen. Thom Tillis, who is bringing Pastor Andrew Brunson, who was held in a Turkish prison for nearly two years, as his guest to the State of the Union address Tuesday night.
"On the one hand I understand how important they are," the North Carolina Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "I'm the co-chair of the Senate NATO observer group. [Turkey is] an important ally in a complex part of the world. But there are certain standards for NATO members about how they treat one another's citizens."
Brunson was held on charges of spying, which Tillis said was "a miscarriage of justice that I got personally involved in."
The senator thanked President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the 72 senators who signed a letter supporting Brunson's release.
"There are certain rules that you need to abide by when you're a NATO member and that partnership is something we have to continue to build on," said Tillis.
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to speak on the need for border security, and Tillis said the president must paint a "broader picture" and dispose of personal attacks on his strategy to make sure that happens.
"The president reached out and tried to make an offer, but Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi has been resistant," said Tillis, calling for a compromise between Trump and Pelosi.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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