Politics 11:06 24/05/2017 Armenia

Harut Sassounian: Erdogan’s guards beating protesters reinforces ‘Terrible Turk’ image

Armenians and non-Armenians alike were saddened and outraged seeing videos of the attack on 11 protesters who were injured after being hit, kicked and choked by Pres. Erdogan’s security guards in front of the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., on May 16. Regrettably, several thousand Turks shamelessly sent tweets expressing their joy that Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Greeks and Yezidis were bloodied by Turkish thugs!

This vicious brawl has done more damage to the image of Turkey in the United States and around the world than any other brutality recently committed by Turkish soldiers, police or security guards inside Turkey. Turkish denialists constantly complain that Armenian ‘propaganda’ on the Armenian Genocide has stained the reputation of Turks worldwide, ignoring the fact that Turks have tarnished their own image by committing a mass heinous mass crime.

In fact, the May 16 nasty attack by Turkish goons on peaceful protesters has done more to reinforce the ‘Terrible Turk’ image than anything Armenians or others could have done. The Turkish government spends millions of dollars each year to pay public relations firms to present Turkey in the best possible light. However, the latest incident, which was condemned by many Members of Congress and covered widely by the mass media, has blackened the reputation of Turkey and its autocratic President Erdogan to such an extent that even $100 million spent on public relations cannot undo the damage inflicted on their image.

Here are some of the critical comments made by Members of Congress:

Sen. John McCain (Rep.-AZ), Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, told ABC Nightly News and MSNBC: “We should throw [Turkey’s] Ambassador the hell out of the United States of America!”

In addition, Sen. McCain and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Dem.-CA), Ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, sent a joint letter to Pres. Erdogan asking for an apology.

Four Republican Senators: Marco Rubio (FL), Tom Cotton (AR), Mike Lee (UT), and Ted Cruz (TX) issued a joint statement demanding an immediate apology from the Turkish government.

Condemnatory statements were also issued by: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (Dem.-NY), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Dem.-RI), Sen. Jack Reed (Dem.-RI), Sen. Ben Cardin (Dem.-MD), Sen. Patrick Leahy (Dem.-VT), and Sen. Ben Sasse (Rep.-NEB).

House Foreign Relations Committee chairman Ed Royce sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions stating: “Agents of foreign governments should never be immune from prosecution for felonious behavior.”

Several other House members also issued statements condemning the Turkish attack: Don Breyer (Dem.-VA), Devin Nunes (Rep.-CA), Adam Schiff (Dem.-CA), Steny Hoyer (Dem.-MD), Frank Pallone (Dem.-NJ), Dave Trott (Rep.-MI), David Valadao (Rep.-CA), Brad Sherman (Dem.-CA), James McGovern (Dem.-MA), Jim Costa (Dem.-CA), Zoe Lofgren (Dem.-CA), Ron DeSantis (Rep.-FL), Tulsi Gabbard (Dem.-HI), Ted Deutch (Dem.-FL), and District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, tweeted: “Clearly Erdogan’s guards feel complete impunity, drawing on tools of repression they use at home and knowing he has their back, no matter what.”

In addition, both the Mayor and Police Chief of Washington, D.C., condemned the brutal attack in the nation’s Capital, shortly after Pres. Erdogan met with Pres. Trump in the White House.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told FOX news that the Turkish attack is “simply unacceptable” and is under investigation. Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic, was summoned to the State Department by Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon. The State Department issued a statement condemning the Turkish government “in the strongest possible terms.” The Wall Street Journal reported that the State Department “is exploring ways to block members of Erdogan’s security detail from re-entering the United States.” This is the least the U.S. government should do! Amazingly, Amb. Kilic was quoted as telling a police officer who was trying to break up the fight, “you cannot touch us,” referring to the possible diplomatic immunity granted to some of the Turkish guards. Incredibly, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. Ambassador in Ankara to complain about the behavior of Washington, D.C., police.

The most serious aspect of this attack was the fact that Pres. Erdogan was video-taped by Voice of America (Turkish news service) directing his security detail to attack the protesters, according to the Washington Post. Regrettably, this is not the first time Pres. Erdogan’s bodyguards have gotten involved in beating or threatening individuals during his overseas trips.

In 2009, then-Prime Minister Erdogan’s security members were involved in a brawl with Pres. Obama’s Secret Service agents.

In 2011, Erdogan’s bodyguards broke the ribs of a United Nations security guard, during an attack at the U.N. headquarters in New York City.

In 2014, Turkish security in New York threatened and pushed around journalists working for a newspaper unfriendly to Erdogan.

In 2015, during a visit to Brussels, Pres. Erdogan’s security guard attacked a Belgian government bodyguard.

In February 2016, Pres. Erdogan’s bodyguards assaulted three women who were protesting his speech at the National Institute of Higher Studies in Quito, Ecuador. The Turkish security members also broke the nose of an Ecuadorian Parliament member who was trying to intervene. Erdogan arrogantly justified the attack: “Appropriate responses will always be taken to handle these disrespectful people.” Rosana Alvarado, deputy speaker of Ecuador’s Parliament, responded: “We don’t want to see Erdogan in our country again!”

In March 2016, Pres. Erdogan’s security attacked journalists and protesters outside the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., where the Turkish leader was invited to give a speech.

After listing some of the aforementioned attacks, National Review Online columnist Tom Rogan concluded: “As Erdogan centralizes power and attacks his opponents, the TPPD [Turkish Presidential Protection Department] has morphed from law enforcement into suited thuggery.”

It will take a long time for Turkey to recover the flood of negative publicity in hundreds of U.S. newspapers, TV stations, and websites, including a devastating editorial in the Washington Post. Anders Corr writing in Forbes magazine suggested that “next time Turkey comes to town, mobilize the riot police to corral Erdogan’s thuggish security if they get out of hand.” In an editorial, The New York Times aptly described the May 16 attack: “The enduring image of Mr. Erdogan’s visit will not be the pomp at the White House but that of his security guards and other supporters beating up protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence.”

Erdogan’s security exhibited their typical criminal behavior in front of the whole world. They behaved in the United States the way they behave routinely in Turkey!

Two Turkish journalists, writing in the independent Al-Monitor website, correctly characterized the recent ugly incidents with Erdogan’s bodyguards: “The Washington visit ended with scenes making a mockery of Turkey’s image,” wrote Fehim Tastekin. Pinar Tremblay added: “Erdogan’s security personnel are notorious for attacking protesters all around the globe, thus presenting a brutal face of Turkey that no anti-Turkey lobby could accomplish in one day.”

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:00
Artur Vanetsyan to be a guest on Imnemnimi podcast on December 25
Artur Vanetsyan, the leader of the Homeland Party and the former director of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS), will be a guest on...
16:46
Dry weather expected on Monday
Dry weather is expected in Armenia's regions on Monday and later this week. Light snow is forecast for some parts of the country...
16:24
Hayakve condemns government's indifference towards Syrian Armenians
The Hayakve initiative has expressed concern about the fate of Syrian Armenians following the change of government in Syria. “We...
15:34
Politician slams Pashinyan's Artsakh claims as 'a blatant lie'
Opposition politician Eduard Sharmazanov, a senior member of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), has lambasted Armenian Prime...
14:33
Bashar al-Assad's wife reportedly files for divorce
The British wife of Syria’s deposed president Bashar al-Assad, Asma al-Assad, has filed for divorce after expressing dissatisfaction with...
14:07
Opposition MP: Armenian leaders focused on justifying themselves amid Azerbaijan's military buildup
The intensive mutual visits of Azerbaijani and Turkish military officials are largely part of a plan to reform Azerbaijan’s armed forces,...
13:30
Trump pledges to stop 'transgender lunacy'
President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday pledged to "stop the transgender lunacy" on day one of his presidency, AFP reported....
13:08
Yerevan mayor addresses criticism over expensive US trip
Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan has addressed criticism over his expensive flight tickets for a trip to the U.S. in November. The...
12:34
Famous ophthalmologist Alexander Malayan dies at 76
Renowned ophthalmologist Alexander Malayan has passed away at the age of 76, YSMU Rector Armen Muradyan broke the news on Facebook on...
12:15
Boy injured as drones fall from sky at Florida holiday show
A holiday drone show in Florida was forced to cancel its second performance due to an injury this weekend. Andrea Otero, the City of Orlando...
12:06
Armenia ballet artists perform 'The Nutcracker' in Italy
Ballet artists from the Yerevan Opera Theater have started a concert tour to Italy to perform their adaptation of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's...
11:35
Pashinyan admits 'a big mistake' over Karabakh negotiation process
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claims the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation process completely focused on its return to Azerbaijan since the...
11:15
Drivers warned about icy roads in Armenia's Syunik
The Rescue Service has warned drivers about road closure in Armenia on Monday morning. In particular, the road linking the Amberd high...
11:00
Putin meets Slovak PM in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin held surprise talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at the Kremlin on Sunday to discuss the future of...
17:30
Expert blasts My Step Foundation's 'unacceptable' response to Panorama.am
Shushan Doydoyan, President of the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia (FOICA), has denounced the My Step Charitable Foundation’s...
16:30
US avoids government shutdown with last-minute funding bill
The US Senate has voted to pass a budget deal to avert what would be the first federal government shutdown since 2019, only hours after the...
16:01
Barack Obama's top 10 movies of 2024 includes ‘Anora' starring Armenian actors
Barack Obama has shared his favorite movies of the year, continuing what has become an annual list-making tradition from the former...
15:36
None of Baku's demands meets strong opposition from Pashinyan's government, MP says
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government does not strongly oppose any of the demands listed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for a...
15:00
WhatsApp wins legal case against Pegasus spyware maker
WhatsApp has prevailed against Israeli spyware maker NSO Group in a US lawsuit over NSO’s abuse of the messaging app to enable the...
14:34
Armenian woman named Female Business Leader of the Year
Amalya Yeghoyan, Executive Director of the Gyumri Information Technologies Center (GITC), has been named the Female Business Leader of the...
14:01
Saturday is the winter solstice and 2024's shortest day
The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. The celestial event signifies...
13:36
Light snow expected in parts of Armenia
Dry weather is expected in Armenia’s regions on Saturday, Monday and later next week. Light snow is forecast for some parts of the...
13:06
'A new level of cynicism': UJA slams My Step Foundation's response to Panorama.am
The Union of Journalists of Armenia (UJA) on Friday issued a statement denouncing the My Step Foundation’s inappropriate response to...
12:30
Turkish FM calls for fair approach in promoting Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Ankara on Friday. They discussed, among other...
12:05
Ruben Vardanyan held in 'complete isolation' in Baku prison, his son says
David Vardanyan, the son of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, has revealed that his father is being held in “complete...
11:31
Pashinyan extends birthday greetings to Macron
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to French President Emmanuel Macron on his birthday. Below...
11:17
Armenian church commemorates St Abgar
The Armenian Apostolic Church on Saturday commemorates St Apkar (Abgar), a martyr of the church and our first Christian King....
11:05
Magnitude 4.5 earthquake hits Artsakh, felt in Armenia
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) last night. The quake occurred 30 km south of the town of Karvachar (Kelbajar)...
17:06
Armenia-Azerbaijan peace efforts remain 'an area of vital importance' to Biden administration – State Dept.
The Biden administration will continue working on the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations until the last day in office, State...
16:39
Artur Vanetsyan issues message on National Security Officer's Day
Major-General Artur Vanetsyan, the former director of Armenia's National Security Service, issued a congratulatory message on the National...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}