U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis has long pushed for Brunson's release. The North Carolina Republican witnessed part of the pastor's trial in April and speaks weekly on the issue of Brunson’s return to North Carolina.
 
“This is not about valid charges. This is about a political hostage,” Tillis said in a speech on the floor of the Senate last week.
 
Tillis said in his speech the Turkish president explicitly said “we can short circuit all of this by you trading your pastor for our pastor.”
 
The Turkish pastor is Fethullah Gülen, who is currently in exile in Pennsylvania. Gülen is a Turkish cleric who is accused of planning the 2016 coup against Erdo?an.
 
Tillis has pushed for the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to prevent Turkey from purchasing Lockheed Martin F-35 joint strike fighter planes. The amendment would also remove Turkey from the F-35 training program currently in place.
 
In the state House, the resolution won bipartisan support and passed unanimously.
 
Rep. Chuck McGrady, a Hendersonville Republican, said Brunson's former home in Western North Carolina is close to his district.
 
“There’s got to be actions for Turkey. It seems to be more about politics,” McGrady said. “I want to stand up for a North Carolina citizen.”
 
Tillis praised the resolution in the state House, where he formerly served as the top leader. "While Turkey has been a NATO ally since 1952, the Turkish government has started to act like more of an adversary, which includes the wrongful imprisonment of Pastor Brunson," he said in a statement.

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