Turkish pro-government lawyers have filed charges against U.S. military officers for allegedly having ties to terrorist organizations.
According to Stars and Stripes, the court papers accuse the officers of having connections to FETO, a group deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey, and call for the arrest of several officers associated with Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, including Col. John C. Walker, Col. Michael H. Manion, Col. David Eaglen, Col. David Trucksa, Lt. Col. Timothy J. Cook, Lt. Col. Mack R. Coker, and Sgts. Thomas S. Cooper and Vegas M. Clark.
The lawyers are seeking to stop all flights from departing from the base and requesting access to execute a search warrant.
The organization behind the filing, the Association for Social Justice and Aid, is reportedly a non-governmental organization of supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The legal action comes amid increasing tension between the two countries over Turkey’s refusal to release North Carolina Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who Turkey claims supported PKK Kurdish militants and assisted a Turkish cleric based in Pennsylvania, who allegedly is responsible for the attempted 2016 coup against Erdogan.
President Donald Trump got involved in late July, threatening to impose “large sanctions” on Turkey for detaining Brunson.
The U.S. later officially imposed financial sanctions on two ministers and doubled steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey, resulting in the Turkish currency hitting a record low of 7.23 per dollar.
An American spokeswoman for Incirlik Air Base told Stars and Stripes that the U.S. will continue to carry out their mission at the base and they are “proud of the relationship we have with our Turkish military partners.”