Turkey chides U.S. envoy over handling of brawl at D.C. protest
ISTANBUL — The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador in Ankara on Monday to complain about the treatment of a Turkish governmental delegation to Washington last week, after Turkish government bodyguards were filmed assaulting several protesters.
Ambassador John Bass received a written and verbal condemnation of what the Turks called “aggressive and unprofessional actions” by U.S. police officers toward the bodyguards, who were in Washington to protect President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
In the incident last Tuesday, a demonstration outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington erupted into a brawl that pitted Armenian and Kurdish protesters against Turkish officials, supporters of Erdogan and the bodyguards. Nine people were hospitalized.
As U.S. police officers tried to break up the fracas, several Turkish bodyguards were shoved and at least one was detained briefly.
“It has been formally requested that the U.S. authorities conduct a full investigation of this diplomatic incident and provide the necessary explanation,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The summoning of Bass appeared to be a tit-for-tat response to the State Department’s summoning of the Turkish ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic.
The original incident took place after Erdogan met with President Donald Trump and expressed frustration with his decision to continue an alliance with Syrian Kurds. Turkey regards those militias as terrorist groups.
One video of the scene showed Erdogan watching the brawl, and he appeared to instruct some of the bodyguards who were involved. Another video showed Turkish bodyguards kicking protesters as they lay on the ground.
Several U.S. politicians expressed shock at such scenes unfolding in the heart of the U.S. capital. Sen. John McCain, RAriz., called for the Turkish ambassador to be expelled.
The protesters have said the bodyguards started the fight. Turkey has said the demonstrators provoked the bodyguards.
Though it summoned Bass, the Turkish government appeared keen to keep the situation from escalating into a full-blown diplomatic dispute.
The Foreign Ministry said in its statement, “During the meeting with the ambassador, it was emphasized that the lapses of security experienced during our president’s stay in Washington, which were caused by the inability of U.S. authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official program, will not overshadow what in every other aspect was a very successful and important visit.”