President Erdogan, you would do well to remember that this country is built on free speech, free religion, free press, & freedom to protest.
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) May 17, 2017
Turkish president — and bona fide tyrant — Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is currently a guest in our country.
It was a great honor to welcome the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to the @WhiteHouse today! pic.twitter.com/4BWjOCgnNv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2017
Oh, and by the way, last night, a bunch of his bodyguards beat up protesters outside the Turkish Embassy in D.C.:
#Erdoğan'ın korumaları kavgaya karıştı https://t.co/gsi1iQ68Ye #amerikaninsesi pic.twitter.com/Jv3g5E7AVA
— Amerika'nın Sesi (@VOATurkish) May 17, 2017
This is truly unbelievable stuff. Erdogan's thugs beating protesters on American soil. https://t.co/4RnLJUc1Wx
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 17, 2017
First, video shows an Erdogan supporter (yellow shirt) shoves a woman to the ground and is hit in retaliation by a protester (blue shirt).
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 17, 2017
Later Erdogan's entourage shows up and a man in a suit runs from the Turkish side, past police, and attacks the man in the blue shirt.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 17, 2017
The police lose complete control at that point and men in suits from the Turkish side start brutally beating the protesters.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 17, 2017
Voice of America is saying that at least some of those men were Erdogan's bodyguards. Pretty shocking, if so.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 17, 2017
Protesters were holding signs calling for the release of Selahattin Demirtas, a jailed Erdogan opponent. https://t.co/UgX51pDZZK
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 17, 2017
https://twitter.com/JoeRTabet/status/864657095571976192
A demonstration outside the Turkish Embassy in northwest Washington led to nine people being injured, and two arrested pic.twitter.com/6SQTlQAUaa
— The Voice of America (@VOANews) May 17, 2017
Apparently Erdoğan and his men don’t seem to know — or care — that that’s not how America works.
The White House tells me the State Department will be issuing a statement on the altercation outside the Turkish embassy later today.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 17, 2017
The U.S. State Department has issued its statement, and let them be clear: They’re “concerned.”
Violence is never an appropriate response to free speech. We support the rights of people everywhere to free expression & peaceful protest. pic.twitter.com/MEm4jSmCXV
— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) May 17, 2017
NEW: State Dept.: “We are concerned by the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish security personnel.” pic.twitter.com/r2Wj0hHw73
— ABC News (@ABC) May 17, 2017
Townhall’s Katie Pavlich is not impressed:
No direct condemnation of Erdogan's thugs. Greatz https://t.co/RKjbZOhSJa
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
Nor is Dana Loesch:
How has there been nothing more on this than a paragraph statement? Weak. https://t.co/NlsQfmKRlK
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) May 17, 2017
Seems like it warrants a bit more than that, no?
These weren't simply "security personnel," they were Erdogan's body guards. https://t.co/RKjbZOhSJa
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
Erdogan's thugs beat American protestors, on American soil, so badly they went to the hospital. What is the consequence for this? https://t.co/RKjbZOhSJa
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
Good question.
The D.C. Metro Police said earlier that they plan to pursue charges:
In a statement, police said the actions of those involved “stand in contrast to the First Amendment rights and principles we work tirelessly to protect each and every day.”
“We will continue to work with our partners at the United States State Department and United States Secret Service to identify and hold all subjects accountable for their involvement in the altercation.”
But that may be a lot easier said than done:
DC Police Chief diplomatic immunity may play in assault on protesters at Turkish Embassy. https://t.co/etEo0W5ny7. pic.twitter.com/yyysa8MQWJ
— Stephen Tschida (@ABC7Stephen) May 17, 2017
DC police chief also acknowledged diplomatic immunity "may be an issue" in Turkish protest assaults. said cops will do all it can to arrest
— Perry Stein (@PerryStein) May 17, 2017
Worth noting:
Also, what will the consequences be for Erdogan's bodyguards? Second time in a row they've done this on visits to U.S. https://t.co/QxJEbPNWOW
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
They did this last time they were in town, too @StephenGutowski
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
Yep:
Worth remembering that Erdogan’s guards attacked journalists when he was here last year. https://t.co/ukL9PfAOMd
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 17, 2017
And as Pavlich points out:
Yep, and no consequences last time certainly helped with emboldenment @StephenGutowski
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
Is the State Department going to take further action, besides being “concerned”?
https://twitter.com/TomRtweets/status/864910210904850432
https://twitter.com/BradThor/status/864914091571388418
The White House has yet to comment.
Where's the WH comment?
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) May 17, 2017
They haven't released one yet https://t.co/0o0QQPDlqG
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
According to pool report, Spicer refused to issue White House comment on Erdogan's body guards beating up Americans, deferred to State Dept
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 17, 2017
***
Update:
Rubio, Cruz, Lee & Cotton issue joint statement condemning Erdogan thugs' violence against protesters in DC: pic.twitter.com/mhJbpmt9ga
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 17, 2017
The State Dept. could take a lesson from them.
***
Update:
Turkish Embassy issues ‘ridiculous’ statement on bloody protester beatings in DC
Join the conversation as a VIP Member