12 Turkish agents to be charged in D.C. melee that left nine injured
WASHINGTON - Police are set to announce charges against a dozen Turkish security agents who were involved in a violent altercation when Turkey’s president visited Washington last month, a U.S. official said Wednesday.
The D.C. police are expected to say that seven men are being charged with felonies and another five with misdemeanors. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter and spoke only on condition of anonymity ahead of a Thursday news conference that includes Washington’s mayor and police chief.
The action is likely to exacerbate what has become a major irritant in U.S.-Turkish ties. Relations were severely strained even before the May 16 clash, which occurred as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.
The NATO allies are still at odds over a U.S. decision to arm Syrian Kurdish rebels fighting the Islamic State group in Syria. Turkey considers the fighters to be an extension of the Kurdish insurgency in Turkey known as the PKK, and claims without evidence that protesters who showed up during Erdogan’s visit to Washington were themselves associated with the group. U.S. officials have said lawabiding Americans were affected.
Erdogan’s security detail returned with him to Turkey after his visit, so it is unclear if any will face legal repercussions in the United States. However, they could end up being threatened with arrest if they return to the U.S. If any are still in the country, they could be expelled if Turkey refuses to waive diplomatic immunity.
Video of the protest showed security guards and some Erdogan supporters attacking a small group of protesters with their fists and feet. Men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled on a sidewalk. Another wrenched a woman’s neck and threw her to the ground. A man with a bullhorn was repeatedly kicked in the face.
After police officers struggled to protect the protesters and ordered the men in suits to retreat, several of the men dodged the officers and ran into the park to continue the attacks. In all, nine people were hurt.
Earlier Wednesday, police said two men were arrested for their role in the fracas. The Metropolitan Police Department said Sinan Narin was arrested in Virginia on an aggravated assault charge. It said Eyup Yildirim was arrested in New Jersey on charges of assault with significant bodily injury and aggravated assault.