US Congress calls for charges over Turkey embassy brawl
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.Res.354 on June 6, condemning the May 16 attack by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bodyguards against peaceful protesters in Washington D.C., through a bipartisan resolution “calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
The Associated Press reported, the resolution passed with a vote of 397 for and none against.
"The blame for this assault lies with the Turkish government alone. I urge Istanbul to finally accept responsibility for this egregious incident and apologize to those who were harmed," Ryan said in a statement. "Our resolve to defend the First Amendment and condemn suppression is stronger than ever.”
Rep. Ed Royce of California, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, called the violence an “act of suppression on American soil” and an affront to the First Amendment rights of U.S. citizens. Yet the conduct of Erdogan’s armed bodyguards has gone largely unchallenged, said Royce, who sponsored the resolution.
The strong bipartisan support for the measure reflected lingering anger on Capitol Hill over the incident. But the House resolution carries no force of law. Although the State Department continues to investigate the matter, the Trump administration released two members of Erdogan’s detail after holding them briefly following the clash. The guards returned to Turkey with Erdogan.
Nonetheless, pressure has been mounting on the Trump administration not to let the attacks go unpunished even as American officials seek to allay Ankara’s objections to a key part of the U.S. strategy for defeating Islamic State militants in Syria.
The demonstrators had gathered outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in downtown D.C. awaiting Erdogan’s return from a meeting with President Donald Trump. Erdogan’s bodyguards were seen on the videos hitting and kicking the protesters, who wound up with injuries ranging from concussions, broken and loose teeth, and a popped blood vessel in the eye.
One video shared on social media even showed Erdogan watching the melee from his car. The video showed him later exiting the vehicle and peering toward the chaos.