‘Diplomatic immunity' Erdogan's guards may go UNPUNISHED for attack on US protesters
THE US State Department has confirmed Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail was responsible for the brutal attack on protesters in Washington DC – but may not face any charges.
According to a statement from the department, the US is communicating its concern over the incident, which left 12 people injured “in the strongest possible terms” to the Turkish government.
In a press conference on the brawl, DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) chief Peter Newsham said: “Yesterday, we witnessed what appeared to be a brutal attack on peaceful protesters.”
But according to Mr Newsham, a “diplomatic immunity issue” could make it impossible to arrest members of Erdogan’s security detail who have already left the US.
Turkish state media claimed Erdogan’s guards rushed in to disperse the protest because the MPD “did not heed Turkish demands to intervene”.
While the MPD cannot arrest the guards due to agreements on diplomatic immunity, the officers could be arrested if they return to the US in an unofficial capacity.
President Trump also has the power to ban Erdogan’s security detail entirely.
Ruken Isik, a student who was at the protest, told RT: “I was able to grab my four-year-old son, tucked him under my arm and ran away. They could not grab me but grabbed my female friend.
“In the US, you’d never, never expect to be attacked by Turkish president Erdogan’s security guards - and we were there, it was a peaceful protest, suddenly they attacked us.”
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Ms Isik continued: “The security guards already left the country and we are shocked because we were attacked on American soil.
“The US police could not protect us because the security guards were so violent. They were even attacking the American police.”
Last year, Erdogan’s security forces caused uproar in the US after they attacked journalists in Washington DC while the Turkish president delivered a speech praising democracy in his country.