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Attack on protestors at the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C

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Attack on protestors at the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C.
Video of the clashes captured by Voice of America in Sheridan Circle in Washington, D.C.
Date16 May 2017
Location
Turkish Ambassador's Residence, Washington, D.C., United States
Caused byProtests against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's state visit to the United States
Resulted inTurkey–United States relations strained
Parties

 Turkey

Casualties
Injuries11
Arrested4

The Attack on protestors at the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. broke out on May 16, 2017, between Turkey's Police Counter Attack Team and a crowd of protesters, some of whom carried flags of a Kurdish political party.[1] According to Turkey, Turkish bodyguards were acting in self-defense and the protesters were tied to a terrorist group.[2] However, according to US officials the Turkish bodyguards attacked the protesters unprovoked.[2] A protest leader denied that any participants had ties to any terrorist group.[3] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was in Washington that day to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump and observed the clashes from a distance.[4]

The clashes were decried as a Turkish attack on American protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, which guarantees freedom of speech and assembly.[5][6] Turkey declined to apologize for the incident, blaming the protestors for provoking the response.

Of the 24 men who were filmed attacking protesters, nearly a month passed before any were charged with a crime.[7] However, on June 6, a U.S. House resolution unanimously passed calling for all Turkish security guards involved to be charged and prosecuted under United States law.[8] On June 14, two men were arrested for assault in connection to the attacks, while arrest warrants were issued for the bodyguards.[9] The charges were dropped in March 2018, days before high level meetings between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Erdoğan.[10]

Clashes

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Erdoğan just before the clash. Video from Voice of America.
Video of the clashes by Voice of America.
Video of the clashes by Voice of America.

On May 16, 2017, protesters critical of the policies of the Turkish Government [11][12] gathered in front of the Turkish Ambassador's Residence in Washington on the same day Trump held a meeting with Erdoğan.[13]

Shortly after Erdoğan arrived at the ambassador's residence, tensions began to rise between the two sides of the protest. The D.C. police urged the pro-Erdoğan side to retreat. However, a video widely circulated on social media showed that the pro-Erdoğan supporters and Turkish security guards instead dodged the police officers to attack the peaceful protesters. The attackers punched and kicked people lying on the ground in fetal position repeatedly, causing several to bleed.[14]

Another video showed Erdoğan watching the clashes from a distance,[15] prompting speculation that Erdoğan personally ordered the attack. In the video, a member of Erdoğan's security detail speaks to him in his car. Subsequently, that member of the detail spoke to another member of the security detail who ran towards the crowd and appeared to instigate the clashes.[16][17][18][19]

Two men were arrested at the scene – one for aggravated assault and the other for assaulting a police officer. Two members of the presidential security detail were also detained, but were released after a short while.[9]

Immediate reactions

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United States

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Immediately following the events, U.S. lawmakers condemned Turkey's actions during the clashes. Republican Senator John McCain called for the expulsion of the Turkish ambassador.[20] Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill agreed, saying "They were assaulting these people on US soil. Turkish Ambassador should be kicked out of country."[20] A group of nearly 30 Democratic lawmakers, led by Representative Carolyn Maloney, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson demanding that the Turkish guards be "arrested, prosecuted and jailed."[21] Tillerson said that he was going to wait for the findings from a State Department investigation before taking any action.[22] Peter Newsham, the Chief of the Metropolitan police announced that nine people had to be taken to hospital due to the clashes.[12]

On May 18, Under Secretary of State Tom Shannon summoned Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kılıç after the events.

Washington, D.C.

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the clashes a "violent attack on a peaceful demonstration," and said it "is an affront to DC values and our rights as Americans."[23]

On May 17, the D.C. Police Department announced that two individuals had been arrested in connection with the clashes,[12] and stated "The actions seen outside the Turkish Embassy yesterday in Washington, D.C. stand in contrast to the First Amendment rights and principles we work tirelessly to protect each and every day." The department announced further cooperation with the United States State Department and United States Secret Service "to identify and hold all subjects accountable for their involvement in the altercation."[23]

Turkey

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The Turkish Embassy in Washington accused the protesters of starting the clashes by "aggressively provoking" Turkish-American citizens who had gathered to greet the president, leading them to respond in "self-defense".[7][12] The embassies officials blamed the people affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group considered to be a terrorist organization by Turkey and United States, for the clashes.[3]

On May 18, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused senior U.S. diplomat Brett McGurk of supporting the PKK.[20]

On May 22, Turkey summoned U.S. Ambassador John R. Bass and released a statement protesting "aggressive and unprofessional actions" by U.S. security personnel and called the United States to conduct a "full investigation of this diplomatic incident and provide the necessary explanation."[21][18]

Aftermath

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U.S. Congressional action

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Name Date of arrest Charge
U.S. citizens
Jalal Kheirabaoi 16 May 2017 Assault on a police officer
Necmi Ayten 16 May 2017 Aggravated assault
Sinan Narin 14 June 2017 Assault with significant bodily injury
Eyup Yildirim 14 June 2017 Assault with significant bodily injury
Canadian citizens
Ahmet Dereci Not yet arrested
Mahmut Ellialtiis
Turkish security and police officials
Ahmet Karabay Not yet arrested
Feride Kayasan
Gokhan Yildirim
Hamza Yurteri
Harritten Eren
Ismail Dalkiran
Ismail Ergunduz
Lutfu Kutluca
Mamet Samman
Muhsin Kose
Mustafa Sumercan
Server Erken
Tugay Erken
Turgut Akar
Yusuf Ayar
Sources[24][25][26]

On June 6, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives called for the members of the security detail who were involved in the melee to be brought to justice.[27] The resolution, which passed in a unanimous 397–0 vote, called for "any Turkish security official who directed or participated in efforts by Turkish security forces to suppress peaceful protests outside of the Turkish ambassador's residence" to be charged and prosecuted under U.S. law.[8] The measure was similar to a Senate demand to waive diplomatic immunity for security forces involved in the assault.[27]

Congressman Steny Hoyer called the incident an outrage that the U.S. cannot tolerate.[27] Congressman Ed Royce called the violence an "act of suppression on American soil".[27] Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called for the Turkish government to "finally accept responsibility for this egregious incident and apologise to those who were harmed".[8]

The day following the vote, Turkey dismissed the resolution saying that it would "distort and politicize" matters and that the measure was "against the spirit of alliance and partnership" between the two countries.[28]

Other countries

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As a consequence of this violence, the German government, host of the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit in July 2017, reportedly rejected the attendance of twelve guards from Turkey's presidential security team.[29]

Arrests and warrants

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On June 14, 2017, two men, Sinan Narin of Virginia and Eyup Yildirim of New Jersey, were arrested for aggravated assault in connection to the clashes.[9]

On June 15, the United States issued 16 arrest warrants, 12 of which were for presidential security guards involved in the clashes. President Erdoğan criticized the United States for issuing the arrest warrants, saying "They have issued arrest warrants for 12 of my bodyguards. What kind of law is this? If my bodyguards cannot protect me then why am I bringing them to America with me?". Erdoğan also claimed that D.C. police failed to intervene during the clashes.[30] Turkey summoned Ambassador John R. Bass and stated that Turkish citizens cannot be held responsible for the clashes since U.S. and local security authorities failed to take the proper measures during Erdoğan's state visit.[31]

In August 2017, a grand jury indicted 19 defendants in connection with the clashes. The 19 defendants included the 16 individuals criminally charged in June. Fifteen of the defendants are Turkish security officials. All the defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence. Additionally, many of the defendants were indicted on charges such as assault with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault.[32]

September phone call between Erdoğan and Trump

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In a PBS NewsHour interview with Judy Woodruff on September 19, 2017, Erdoğan said that Trump had called him the previous week to apologize for the incident, and promised to follow up on it during future talks with the Turkish government.[33] A spokesperson for the White House said that while many issues were discussed during the call, Trump had not offered an apology.[34][33]

Charges dropped

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In March 2018 the Department of Justice announced that it had dropped all charges against eleven of the fifteen members of the Turkish Presidential Counter Attack Team who had been charged with assault.[35] The charges were dropped days before high-level meetings between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Erdoğan in Ankara.[10][36][37] Tillerson told Erdoğan that the dropped charges were an example of how the U.S. had addressed Turkey's grievances.[38] Contradicting earlier statements, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert denied political pressure was behind the decision and claimed that a lack of evidence prompted them to drop the charges.[38]

Civil lawsuits

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In May 2018, two lawsuits were filed by victims of the Turkish attack. Fearing Turkish reprisal, many of the plaintiffs withheld their names from the case. One lawsuit filed on May 3 seeks more than $100 million in damages while the other requests an unspecified amount.[39] The Turkish government claimed to be protected against legal action by sovereign immunity.[40] On February 6, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Turkey was not protected by sovereign immunity, and that the case could proceed.[41] In July 2020, the Turkish government appealed the sovereign immunity ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.[42][43] In January 2021, the Court ruled that the security details of the Turkish president were not protected from prosecution by any law, both domestic nor international, if they as was shown in the evidence reviewed were "strik[ing] and kick[ing]" civilians who had fallen to the ground and did not represent any immediate threat to the President of Turkey.[44] The US Senate and the House of Representatives both also supported the prosecution of the involved security personnel.[45] Turkey’s immunity arguments have now failed at every level of the U.S. court system. [46][47] On May 16, 2024, U.S. congressman John Sarbanes led a bipartisan group of 73 lawmakers urging the State Department to hold Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accountable. [48]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ensor, Josie (May 17, 2017). "Erdogan's bodyguards in violent clash with protesters in Washington, leaving nine injured". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Wilson, Megan R. (May 17, 2017). "Turkish Embassy calls violent clash with protesters in DC 'self-defense'". The Hill.
  3. ^ a b Hermann, Peter; Stein, Perry (May 17, 2017). "Erdogan's guards clash with protesters outside Turkish ambassador's D.C. residence". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  4. ^ Abrams, Abigail (May 18, 2017). "Video Shows Turkish President Erdogan Watching Attack on D.C. Protesters". Time. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  5. ^ "Turkey henchmen kick First Amendment". USA Today. May 24, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  6. ^ Wilson, Megan R. (May 17, 2017). "Turkish Embassy calls violent clash with protesters in DC 'self-defense'". Retrieved June 15, 2017. The conflict, which happened during rush hour on Tuesday, has sparked outrage from U.S. lawmakers and officials who raised concerns about violating the First Amendment rights of protesters.
  7. ^ a b Browne, Malachy; Cirillo, Chris; Griggs, Troy; Keller, Josh; Reneau, Natalie (May 26, 2017). "Did the Turkish President's Security Detail Attack Protesters in Washington? What the Video Shows". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "US Congress calls for charges over Turkey embassy brawl". BBC. June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c "D.C. Police Say 2 Arrests Made in Turkish Embassy Melee Case". NBC News. June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Cohen, Zachary (March 22, 2018). "US dropped charges against Turkish bodyguards over DC brawl before Tillerson trip". CNN. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  11. ^ "Turkey's president had a bad NATO summit, too". The Economist. May 27, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d Fandos, Nicholas; Mele, Christopher (May 17, 2017). "Erdogan Security Forces Launch 'Brutal Attack' on Washington Protesters, Officials Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  13. ^ McCallister, Doreen (May 17, 2017). "Violence Breaks Out During Protest At Turkish Embassy In Washington, D.C." NPR. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  14. ^ Mele, Christopher; Fandos, Nicholas (May 17, 2017). "Fight Outside Turkish Ambassador's Residence in Washington Injures 9". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  15. ^ "Raw: Video shows Erdogan observing clashes in DC". USA Today. May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  16. ^ Bump, Philip (May 19, 2017). "Was Erdogan personally involved in his bodyguards' attacks on protesters in D.C.?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  17. ^ Nelson, Steven (May 20, 2017). "Turkish Experts Say Order Given as Erdogan Guards Attacked D.C. Protest". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  18. ^ a b Fahim, Kareem (May 22, 2017). "Turkey condemns U.S. over 'aggressive' acts against Erdoğan's guards during D.C. visit". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  19. ^ Lowry, Rich (May 23, 2017). "Not On Our Soil". National Review. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  20. ^ a b c "US summons Turkey envoy for embassy brawl". BBC. May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  21. ^ a b Fraser, Suzan; Lederman, Josh (May 22, 2017). "US, Turkey dispute fighting in DC as ambassador summoned". ABC News. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  22. ^ "Tillerson waits on Turkey embassy brawl; McCain says 'look at the clip'". Fox News. May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  23. ^ a b Gresko, Jessica (May 17, 2017). "State Dept. Criticizes Turkey for Violence Outside Embassy". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  24. ^ Koran, Laura; Deutch, Gabrielle (June 16, 2017). "Arrest warrants issued for Turkish security officials over embassy brawl in DC". CNN. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  25. ^ Sadon, Rachel (May 17, 2017). "D.C. Police Will Pursue Additional Arrests In Violent Clash Between Turkish Guards, Protesters". DCist. Washington DC. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  26. ^ Alexander, Keith (April 5, 2018). "Two Americans each sentenced to 366 days in prison for melee near Turkish ambassador's residence". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  27. ^ a b c d "House Votes to Condemn Turkish Security Attack on Protesters". The New York Times. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  28. ^ "Turkey rejects US resolution condemning bodyguards' attacks". The Washington Post. June 7, 2017. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  29. ^ Carrel, Paul (June 26, 2017). MacSwan, Angus (ed.). "Germany does not expect charged Erdogan bodyguards to attend G20". Reuters. Berlin.
  30. ^ "Turkey's Erdoğan slams US move to issue warrants for bodyguards". Hürriyet Daily News. June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  31. ^ "Turkey summons US ambassador over brawl arrest warrants". TRT World. June 15, 2017. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  32. ^ Delk, Josh (August 29, 2017). "19 indicted for attack on protesters outside Turkish embassy". The Hill. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  33. ^ a b Jacobs, Ben (September 20, 2017). "Turkish president: Trump apologized for indictment of security staff in brawl". The Guardian. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  34. ^ Thomsen, Jacqueline (September 19, 2017). "Erdogan: Trump apologized to me over brawl between Turkish bodyguards and protesters". The Hill. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  35. ^ Alexander, Keith L. (March 22, 2018). "Federal prosecutors dismiss assault charges against 11 Turkish guards in D.C. brawl". Washington Post.
  36. ^ Manchester, Julia (March 22, 2018). "Charges dropped against most Turkish officers accused in DC clash". The Hill.
  37. ^ "Charges dropped against Turkish president's bodyguards in D.C. brawl ahead of State Dept. meeting". NBC News. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. March 22, 2018.
  38. ^ a b "Charges dropped against Turkish president's bodyguards in D.C. brawl ahead of State Dept. meeting". NBC. Associated Press. March 22, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  39. ^ Cohen, Zachary (May 10, 2018). "Turkey sued over violence in protests in Washington in 2017". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  40. ^ Tucker, Eric (May 18, 2019). "Brawl suits against Turkey raise questions of law, diplomacy". Associated Press. Washington.
  41. ^ Kelly, Laura (February 7, 2020). "DC Court: Turkey must face charges in Sheridan Circle assault on Kurdish protesters". The Hill.
  42. ^ Rubin, Michael (July 13, 2020). "Turkey will see a green light for attacking American dissidents if DC court grants appeal". Washington Examiner.
  43. ^ Tanir, Ilhan (July 11, 2020). "Turkey appeals U.S. court decision for 2017 Washington brawl". Ahval. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  44. ^ "Brief for the United States as amicus in support of affirmance" (PDF). January 25, 2021. pp. 1–2. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  45. ^ "Letter to Anton J. Blinken" (PDF). March 5, 2021.
  46. ^ "Turkey v. Usoyan". October 31, 2022.
  47. ^ "Supreme Court Declines to Hear Turkey's Appeal on Foreign Sovereign Immunity". October 31, 2022.
  48. ^ "Sarbanes and Bipartisan Group of 70+ Colleagues Urge State Department to Hold Turkey Accountable for 2017 Sheridan Circle Attack". May 16, 2024.
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