'Erdoğan's bodyguards' in violent clash with protesters in Washington DC
Nine people were hurt and two arrests were made during an altercation at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in the US capital during a visit by Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Guardian reports.
According to witnesses, a brawl erupted when Erdoğan’s security detail attacked protesters carrying the flag of the Kurdish PYD party outside the residence.
The altercation came the same day that Erdoğan met Donald Trump at the White House. The State Department declined to comment.
Earlier Trump and Erdoğan had stood side by side at the White House and promised to strengthen strained ties despite the Turkish leader’s stern warning about Washington’s arming of a Kurdish militia.
Fresh from securing his grip on Turkey with a referendum to enhance his powers, Erdoğan came to the Oval Office with complaints about US support for Kurdish fighters and what Ankara says is Washington’s harbouring of the mastermind of a failed coup.