An American citizen and former NASA scientist who had been jailed in Turkey was suddenly freed Wednesday.
39-year-old Serkan Golge has been in Turkish custody since 2016 when he was arrested in the southern part of the country while on vacation. The arrest occurred in the midst of a failed coup attempt where thousands were detained on dubious evidence as suspicions swirled in the Turkish government. Golge was sentenced to five years on terrorism charges.
Golge’s wife, Kubra Golge, confirmed to the New York Times that her husband was indeed released.
“I just talked to him on the phone. He is going back to his family,” she said. “He was shocked.”
“He said ‘I am very thankful I am out of prison. I am very happy.’ And I cried,” Kubra Golge added.
Golge was accused of working with U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom the Turkish government alleged was the mastermind behind the failed coup attempt. The only evidence authorities had against Golge was a $1 bill they found after searching his brother’s house. Turkish prosecutors alleged that Gülen would give blessed $1 bills to his followers.
Golge’s release came just hours after a Wednesday phone call between President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A readout from the phone call said that the two discussed bilateral issues, including trade and tariffs. Golge was not mentioned in the readout and the White House did not confirm to the Washington Examiner that his case was discussed.
Prior to his arrest, the Turkish American Golge was a senior research scientist at NASA studying the effects of space radiation on humans in the International Space Station. He traveled from Turkey to the U.S. in 2003 and became a citizen in 2010.
Turkey released American pastor Andrew Brunson in October. He was also swept up in the 2016 wave of arrests associated with the attempted coup. Trump had made Brunson’s freedom a top priority in discussions with Turkey.
