Nine injured as Erdogan minders ‘instigate brawl’
NINE people were injured after clashes broke out between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bodyguards and protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington.
According to witnesses, the brawl erupted when members of Mr Erdogan’s security team and pro-government supporters attacked protesters carrying the flag of the Kurdish PYD (Democratic Union Party) party.
Men in suits could be seen exchanging punches with demonstrators before US police officers intervened to separate them. However, the fighting continued, with some protesters, including women, knocked to the ground before being kicked and punched.
“We are protesting [Mr Erdogan’s] policies in Turkey, in Syria and in Iraq,” said Flint Arthur, who was at the demonstration.
Speaking of the tactics adopted by those supporting the president, Mr Arthur said: “They think they can engage in the same sort of suppression of protest and free speech that they engage in in Turkey.
“They stopped us for a few minutes … but we still stayed and continued to protest Erdogan’s tyrannical regime.”
Mustafa Dikilitas, a pro-erdogan supporter, said: “We weren’t doing anything wrong. We just celebrated our president.
“One of the YPG supporters ran across, picked up a megaphone, and hit a Turkish citizen with it.”
Mr Erdogan was reportedly inside the building at the time of the brawl on Tuesday afternoon. Two arrests were made.
Tensions between Mr Erdogan’s government and the Kurdish minority are at an all-time high. Mr Erdogan met with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday amid disagreements over Washington’s decision to arm the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia that Ankara regards as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The PKK has fought an insurgency in southeastern Turkey since 1984 and is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Turkey and Europe.
A ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK ended last year and clashes since then have claimed hundreds of lives on both sides.
Mr Erdogan’s government has been carrying out a broad crackdown on political opponents, including among the Kurds, in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt last July, arresting or dismissing tens of thousands of people from their jobs.
Mr Erdogan told Mr Trump that his country would not accept Syrian Kurdish fighters in the region but stopped short of directly criticising a US decision to arm them.
At a White House meeting, Mr Trump lauded Mr Erdogan as an important ally in the “fight against terrorism” and did not mention the president’s domestic crackdown after the failed coup attempt.
“We’ve had a great relationship and we will make it even better,” Mr Trump said in their joint appearance.
Mr Erdogan said his visit would “mark a historical turn of tide” and hailed “outstanding relations” between the nations.