Pastor Brunson’s ‘godson’ served as link to PKK: reports

Shocking details that emerged from the trial of U.S. pastor Andew Craig Brunson have shed new light on his ties to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) through a Belgium-based pastor, whom Brunson refers to as his “godson.”

Brunson's charges include spying for the PKK -- listed as a terrorist group by both the U.S. and Turkey -- and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the defeated coup attempt in Turkey of July 2016.

Several court statements referred to a pastor known as Mohammad Ahmad as being Brunson’s link to terror organizations such as the PKK and its Syria affiliate, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Before his arrest, Brunson referred to Mohammad Ahmad as his godson and had personally married Ahmad to his current missionary wife Loes Truffle.

Relations between Ankara and Washington have soured in recent weeks following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Turkish officials over the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey on terrorism charges.

According to new details that emerged from several witnesses in Brunson’s trial, Ahmad and his brother, known as “Agid,” are involved in espionage activities.

Mohammad Ahmad, who was serving as a pastor in Brunson’s church, was dispatched to Belgium before the latter’s arrest and is serving at a church there.

Among the shocking details that emerged was that on numerous occasions across Ahmad’s social media accounts, he had referred to Brunson’s church in İzmir, which is formally known as the Church of Resurrection, as the İzmir Christian Kurdish Church (Dera Kurden Mesihi- İzmir.)

Posts published on Ahmad’s social media accounts show him referring to Fetullah Terror Organization (FETÖ) ringleader Fetullah Gülen as a “Turkish cleric.”

On several social media platforms, Ahmad, who uses the Twitter handle “Mardini Dilbirin,” regularly defends Pastor Brunson, who is accused of espionage by Turkey.

Ahmad, who had previously shared the photo of PKK ringleader Abdullah Öcalan, had levelled sharp false accusations against Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces.

A large number of photos showing Ahmad together with Brunson can be found across the former’s social media accounts, the most striking among them shows Ahmad baptizing new converts in the Aegean waters, with the attendance of the congregation of the Kurdish Christian Church, also known as the Church of Resurrection.

Photos taken at the church where Ahmad serves as pastor show PKK and so-called Kurdistan imagery hanging on the walls.