Aliaga, Oct 13 (AP) American pastor Andrew Brunson has left Turkey following a court ruling that convicted him on terror charges but also set him free, according to the Turkish media.

The evangelical pastor from North Carolina and his wife Norine arrived at a private terminal in Adnan Menderes Airport in the coastal Izmir province late Friday.

Turkish media later said Brunson's plane took off. His route back to the United States has not been confirmed.

The Turkish court lifted Brunson's house arrest and ban on travel Friday after sentencing him to three years, one month and 15 days in prison. But since he had already spent nearly two years in detention, Turkish law allowed him to go free with time served.

US Vice President Mike Pence tweeted earlier that he and his wife "look forward to welcoming Pastor Brunson and his courageous wife Norine back to the USA!" (AP) SMN

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)