President Donald Trump said that the release of US pastor Andrew Brunson after two years in Turkish custody was a "tremendous step" toward improved relations with Turkey, but he denied cutting a deal with Ankara.
"The only deal, if you could call it a deal, is a psychological one. We feel much differently about Turkey today than we did yesterday, and I think we have a chance of really becoming much closer to Turkey," Mr Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Brunson.
The pastor left Turkey on Friday after a court freed him from two years of detention, in a step that could improve US-Turkish ties strained by differences over Syria, Iran and Turkey's planned purchase of Russian military equipment.
An aircraft carrying Pastor Andrew Brunson cleared Turkish airspace and he was expected to land at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington at around midday local time (5pm Irish time) on Saturday after a stop in Germany, a White House spokesman said.
Mr Brunson was released after the court sentenced him to three years and 1-1/2 months in prison on terrorism charges, but said he would not serve any further jail time.
Mr Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, was jailed two years ago and has been under house arrest since July.
The pastor had been accused of links to Kurdish militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed by Turkey for a coup attempt in 2016.
He denied the accusations and the US had demanded his immediate release.
Speaking to reporters in Cincinnati, President Donald Trump said Mr Brunson would likely visit the White House Oval Office on Saturday.
Asked if US sanctions imposed on Turkey to try to win his release might be lifted, Mr Trump said there was no deal made for the pastor's freedom.
Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and red tie, the North Carolina native wept as the court decision was announced, witnesses said.
Before the judge's ruling he had told the court: "I am an innocent man. I love Jesus. I love Turkey."
The diplomatic stand-off over Mr Brunson, who led a small congregation at the Izmir Resurrection Church, accelerated a sell-off in Turkey's currency, worsening a financial crisis.
Witnesses told the court in the western town of Aliaga that testimony against the pastor attributed to them were inaccurate.
Mr Brunson's wife, Norine, looked on from the visitors' area.
