U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated yesterday that he made no deal with Turkey to lift sanctions in exchange for American pastor Andrew Brunson, who was released from house arrest and returned to the U.S. over the weekend.

"We had no deal with Turkey," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I feel much differently about Turkey today than I felt about them two days ago. I have a very good feeling toward Turkey - two days ago, I did not."

Trump said over the weekend that the release of American pastor Brunson from house arrest was a big step toward normalizing the strained ties with Turkey.

The U.S. Treasury in August had issued sanctions against two Turkish ministers, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, in retaliation over detainment of pastor Brunson. Turkey had retaliated and said it would impose sanctions on U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.