Washington: President Donald Trump is tweeting in the defence of an American pastor who is being tried in Turkey on charges that he aided terror groups and committed espionage.

Trump tweeted late on Tuesday that "Pastor Andrew Brunson, a fine gentleman and Christian leader in the United States, is on trial and being persecuted in Turkey for no reason."

Trump says: "They call him a Spy, but I am more a Spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs!"