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Andrew Brunson had been ministering in Izmir, Turkey, for nearly a quarter of a century before it all changed. In 2016, the American pastor was arrested and thrown in jail, without knowing his charges and without bail. When Brunson\u2019s trial finally started last month, he learned that he had been charged \u201cof fueling unrest in the country through alleged involvement with exiled cleric Fethullah G\xfclen and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an insurgent group.\u201d Both movements are seen as enemies and threats to the Turkish government. Brunson is the \u201cChristian pawn\u201d in Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s political schemes, says Brian Stiller, the global ambassador for World Evangelical Alliance. Turkey wants the United States to extradite G\xfclen, making Brunson\u2019s nationality a bonus for the regime, he suggested. While Brunson\u2019s faith isn\u2019t the only reason that he\u2019s been singled out by the Turkish community, it does reinforce the fact that Turkey is a hard place for Christians, says Stiller. \u201cIt\u2019s a country of 150 churches in a state that is 80 million people,\u201d said Stiller. \u201cYou are a small minority. You are persecuted in many social and psychological ways.\u201d Stiller joined associate digital media producer Morgan Lee and editor in chief Mark Galli to discuss how Turkey\u2019s political unrest fueled Brunson\u2019s arrest and why the Christian community is so fragmented.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices