- American Pastor AndrewBrunson marked his second year

as a prisoner in Turkey Sunday.

Senator James Lankford called on Turkey

to release Pastor Brunson.

Business leaders andreligious freedom advocates

are also working for Brunson's release.

Jennifer Wishon has more.

- During a recent trip to the U.S.,

Turkish President Recep Taayip Erdogan

met with hundreds of investors.

His country's economyis failing due in part

to U.S. sanctions and he'sappealing to American investors

to help Turkey recover.

In a letter to President Trump,

the U.S. Commission onInternational Religious Freedom

calls that troublinggiven Erdogan's personal

and public support for thecontinued, unlawful detainment

of American Pastor Andrew Brunson.

- It's such an unstable country right now

that in the way that thehuman rights violations

that are occurring are so troubling

as we're seeing with Andrew Brunson

that we would really cautionbusinesses to be careful

about investing in Turkey.

- [Jennifer] Pastor Brunsonhas been detained in Turkey

for nearly two years on bogus charges.

During that time the Turkishlira has lost 40% of it's value

due to Erdogan's power graband the diplomatic dispute

between the U.S. and Turkey over Brunson.

Still, CommissionerNadine Maenza says Erdogan

is using Brunson as a pawnto play to his Islamist base

and distract from the pain Turks

are feeling in their pocket books.

- Their economy is spiralingand their currency has devalued

and there's all sortsof problems in Turkey.

So this is a really good distraction

for the President to beable to point to this

and say see look, I'mprotecting our country

from dangerous terrorists.

And we all know Andrew Brunsonis not a dangerous terrorist.

- Here in the U.S. onmainstream news channels,

news outlets, we're nothearing about Pastor Brunson

on a daily, weekly even monthly basis

but in Turkey it's quite different.

I mean, everyone it's a huge deal

that there's this Christian American man

who's been charged with terrorism.

- Right, he's been charged with trying

to overthrow the government of Turkey

which of course, is completely false.

And the fact that he's in his home,

we're so glad that he's not in prison

but we are concerned for his safety

because if there was,

it's not like he's in asecured fortress the way

that we feel like he should be.

So we actually, obviouslyfeel he should be

returned immediately to the United States.

- There are rumors Turkeymay release Brunson

around his next hearingon around October 12th.

A Brunson release would bea tremendous political coup

for President Trump but notnearly as sweet as it would be

for his family and themillions of Christians

who are praying for him.

Jennifer Wishon, CBN News, Washington.