President Donald Trump considers the sanctions imposed on the Turkish ministers to be justified. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed such a view.

“Turkish government refused to release [American] Pastor Brunson after numerous conversations between President Trump and President Erdogan, and my conversations with Foreign Minister Cavusoglu,” Pompeo said in a statement. “President Trump concluded that these sanctions are the appropriate action.”

The Trump administration on Wednesday levied sanctions against Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had stated, “We’ve seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong, and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust detention by the government of Turkey.”

The indictment against Brunson accuses him of espionage and assisting terrorists. He faces a prison sentence of up to 35 years if he is convicted on both counts at the end of his ongoing trial in Turkey.