Turkish court frees US Consulate worker from house arrest

ISTANBUL – A court in Istanbul has released an employee of the U.S. Consulate from house arrest for health reasons.

The court on Tuesday ruled, however, that Nazmi Mete Canturk should continue to be barred from leaving the country pending the outcome of his trial.

Canturk — along with his wife and daughter — is on trial accused of links to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey holds responsible for a failed coup attempt in 2016. He is among three U.S. diplomatic missions’ Turkish employees to be prosecuted on terror or espionage charges.

The top U.S. diplomat in Turkey, Jeffrey Hovenier, welcomed Canturk’s release but said the U.S. saw “no evidence to support the charges brought against him.”

He called for a quick resolution of cases brought against his staff.