A Turkish court on Friday ordered the lifting of house arrest and travel ban on US priest Andrew Branson, who was charged in October 2016 with espionage and supporting two terrorist organizations.
The decision came after the prosecution recommended lifting house arrest and banning travel for the US pastor pending his trial on appeal.
Prosecutors have demanded that the priest be jailed for 10 years on charges of belonging to a "terrorist group", Turkey's TRT News reported.
According to some reports, the court sentenced the pastor to three years, one month and 15 days, but he still has the opportunity to appeal.
As soon as the court's decision was issued, US President Donald Trump said he hoped for a "quick" return of Branson to the United States.
Like Branson earlier in the day before the Izmir court, amid leaks about Ankara and Washington reached a deal to launch.
The al-Jazeera envoy, Omar al-Haj, was quoted as saying that some prosecution witnesses had retracted their statements or changed their testimony.
Prosecutors have demanded in previous sessions that Brunson be sentenced to 35 years in prison for participating in the 2016 coup attempt and covering up his religious capacity to support two groups that Turkey considers terrorist: Gulen and the PKK.
The Brunson trial has caused a major political crisis between the United States and Turkey. Following the crisis, Washington imposed economic sanctions on Turkey, which led to the collapse of the Turkish lira against the dollar.
NBC said Washington and Ankara had reached an agreement to launch it, but the State Department said it was not aware of any agreement.
Branson spent a year and a half in prison. In July, he was released from prison and imposed house arrest, after his file sparked a severe crisis between Ankara and Washington.
The pastor belongs to Conservative Christians, who form a key electoral base for President Donald Trump.
Tramp had previously described Branson as a "wonderful American priest" and a "great patriot" being held hostage.
There have recently been signs of a decline in US-Turkish tensions. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed his hope that Turkey will be the pastor. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also expressed his hope that Ankara will rebuild relations with Washington.
Erdogan has distanced himself from the case in his recent remarks, in which he emphasized non-interference in judicial matters. "I have to bow to the decision of the judiciary," he said.