“Hey, it’s just like home.”
— ?????? ???????, coder, songs, music, grumpy (@nathandickson) May 18, 2017
Hard to believe that footage of Turkish President Erdoğan’s thugs beating up protesters outside the Turkish Embassy in D.C. could get any worse. And yet, here we are:
Exclusive: video via @VOATurkish -Turkey's Pres. Erdogan emerges from car on Tues., watches fight outside Embassy: https://t.co/fo0anLzSGQ
— Elizabeth Cherneff (@echerneff) May 18, 2017
He effing watched it happen.
Now, notice this part: A guy leans into the car (where Erdogan is sitting) then talks to a guy who heads to the protest. Fighting starts. pic.twitter.com/H224YTdonj
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 18, 2017
The second guy is out of sight by 17 seconds in; protestors stop chanting at 21 seconds; brawl is visible at 25.
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 18, 2017
Then at 1:12, the guy who walked away comes back and talks to Erdogan, who’s gotten out of the car.
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 18, 2017
The fight starts when one guy in a suit comes running into the protest and throws punches. From VOA: pic.twitter.com/uZBkEy6cCf
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 18, 2017
1. Watch the video toward the beginning it appears that he relays orders to his bodyguard who orders two men to go down to the protestors.
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) May 18, 2017
State Department condemned the brawl this week. But this looks like Erdogan telling his goons to assault peaceful protesters in America.
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 18, 2017
There’s no way these guys would have caused an int’l incident w/ Erdogan sitting right there w/o his say so https://t.co/KEDoMUqwKz
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) May 18, 2017
Did he give the signal? Watch the relay between limo bodyguard and the bald guy by the stairs before the fight https://t.co/5OCJGZqILv
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) May 18, 2017
Of course, without an actual transcript of the conversation, it’s impossible to know for certain whether Erdoğan urged his security detail to go after the protesters (though one shouldn’t put that past him). But for him to just stand there and calmly watch it happen?
3. Then he gets out of the car to look closer and cooly walks into the embassy…..what a sociopath.
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) May 18, 2017
This is so chilling. Note Erdogan's impassive look when he finally gets out of the car https://t.co/GxAYG5yK0u
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) May 18, 2017
Whether or not he ordered it, by all appearances, President Erdoğan did nothing to stop his staff from committing violence.
— Restive Rabble (@RestiveRabble) May 18, 2017
That’s seriously messed up.
So basically #Erdogan security was part of a fight..on American soil…nice.
— ?? Bj I still want Kamala Harris to adopt me. (@Wewdrshug) May 18, 2017
Despicable, on so many levels. https://t.co/LQGSFe1C3x
— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) May 18, 2017
What the hell.
Can the WH be bothered to even *pretend* to abhor/condemn? https://t.co/BZ2iSvUUmh
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 18, 2017
It shouldn’t be that difficult.
Trump not making any statement about this (WH referred yesterday to Tillerson's comment instead) is a statement of its own. https://t.co/qTkVFBmOkD
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) May 18, 2017
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional text and tweets.
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Related:
Katie Pavlich, Dana Loesch slam State Dept. response to Erdoğan goons beating protesters in DC
Turkish Embassy issues ‘ridiculous’ statement on bloody protester beatings in DC
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