Brunson appeared in the courtroom in the western coastal town of Aliağa.
A Turkish court on Friday heard witnesses in the trial of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson, a case at the heart of a diplomatic row between Washington and Ankara.
The case against Brunson, an evangelical preacher from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, has led to U.S. sanctions and tariffs against Turkey and drawn condemnation from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump's administration said on Thursday it was hopeful that Brunson could be freed at the hearing, but the State Department said it was unaware of any deal with the Turkish government for his release.
An NBC media report on Thursday said a secret deal between Washington and Ankara had been reached to secure Brunson's release.
The pastor is charged with links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).The trial of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is facing terrorism-related chargers in Turkey, will resume on Friday in western Izmir province, according to judicial sources.Brunson was taken from his house -- where he had been under house arrest since July 25 -- under strict security measures and brought to the prison and courthouse complex in Aliaga district for the trial.On July 25, citing Brunson's health problems, an Izmir court ordered him moved from jail to house arrest.Brunson's charges include spying for the PKK -- listed as a terrorist group by both the U.S. and Turkey -- and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the defeated coup attempt in Turkey of July 2016.Turkey and the U.S. have faced rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions over Brunson's detention.Political tensions between the two countries sparked worries in the markets after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to use economic pressure to secure Brunson's release.Video: US charge d'affaires in Turkey visits pastor Brunson
Trial of US pastor Brunson resumes in western Turkey
Brunson appeared in the courtroom in the western coastal town of Aliağa, İzmir wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie. His wife Norine looked on from the visitors' seating area as he listened to testimony from defense and prosecution witnesses.
Brunson's detention deepened a rift between NATO allies Washington and Ankara, who are also at odds over the Syrian war and Turkey's plan to buy missile defenses from Russia. The row has also exacerbated a slide in the lira's value which has lost 40 percent against the dollar this year.
The trial of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is facing terrorism-related chargers in Turkey, will resume on Friday in western Izmir province, according to judicial sources.
Trial of US terror suspect resumes in western Turkey
Jailed or held under house arrest since October 2016, Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted.
Despite pressure from the Trump administration, Erdoğan has insisted that he has no sway over the judiciary and the courts will decide Brunson's fate.