Turkish diplomats say USA police to blame over D.C. brawl

President Trump shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after speaking to the press in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington D.C. May 16
US-Turkey Dispute Over Washington Protest Heats Up
Author

29 May, 2017

And a group of nearly 30 Democratic lawmakers led by Rep. Carolyn Maloney of NY wrote Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday demanding that the Turkish guards be "arrested, prosecuted and jailed".

They have filed a formal protest with the USA ambassador. The outlet also released footage of what appears to be a Turkish security guard charging peaceful demonstrators.

The Turkish Embassy claimed on Wednesday that Erdogan's bodyguards were acting in "self-defense" during the incident and the protesters were affiliated with the terrorist group PKK.

On May 16, members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail were caught on video brutally attacking protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador's residence in Washington, DC and deliberately disregarding police orders to halt their assaults.

Turkish officials, however, are blaming USA security personnel for letting the incident get out of hand, according to the Washington Post.

The brawl has added to the U.S. and Turkey's already strained ties. Several hours after US police took the situation under control in Sheridan Circle where opposing groups violently clashed, this time another problem emerged in another location, the Turkish Embassy.

The Turkish and American governments have drastically different views of the altercation.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told "Fox News Sunday" that the incident Tuesday outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington was "outrageous" and that the Trump administration has expressed "dismay" and summoned the Turkish ambassador to State Department headquarters.

A Daily Sabah correspondent witnessed that senior Turkish diplomats were stopped by the Washington Metropolitan Police force and prevented from approaching the Embassy, for 15 to 20 minutes, until another diplomat came to their rescue.

"We tried to convey our concerns and objections about these detentions to the U.S. State Department before going to the press". It also ordered a US investigation into the matter.

Turkey on Monday protested against what it called "aggressive and unprofessional actions" by American security personnel during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington and meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, last week.

This follows the US demanding similar actions from Ankara.

Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, called the event "deeply disturbing" and said concerns have been raised about it at the highest levels, the Washington Post notes.

A video poster later showed Erdogan himself ordering the attack.

The Turkish ambassador should be "thrown the hell out of Washington", Sen.

Tillerson said an investigation has to conclude before it's decided if the ambassador should be expelled. Many pledged to support Selahattin Demirtas, a pro-Kurdish political party co-leader imprisoned in Turkey.

The protest was organized by the Armenian National Committee of America, the Hellenic Council of America and several other organizations - Kurdish, Assyrian and Greek.


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