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Forty members of the US House of Representatives are calling on the US government to bar from entry or expel the Turkish personnel believed to have brawled with protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington DC last week.
The group signed a letter addressed to the US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday.
“Foreign nationals who cannot respect the rule of law of this great country should not be allowed to enjoy the rights and privileges it affords,” wrote the lawmakers.
“Allies do not threaten US troops and allies do not attack US citizens on American soil. We ask you to uphold law and order and demand accountability from the Erdogan government.”
Brawl breaks out
On May 16, nearly a dozen people were injured, and two others arrested, after a fight broke out between protesters, who were demonstrating against Turkish President Recep Erdogan's policies, and Turkish security officers.
Erdogan had just wrapped up his meetings with his US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House.
A Voice of America video shows Erdogan watching the melee from the driveway of the ambassador’s residence.
Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported that “D.C. Police did not heed Turkish demands to intervene” which is why parts of Erdogan’s detail moved in to “disperse them.”
The violent confrontation soon turned into a diplomatic row between the two countries.
On Monday, Ankara summoned the US ambassador to Turkey John Bass to deliver a message, which "emphasized that the lapses of security experienced during our President’s stay in Washington, were caused by the inability of US authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage,” according to a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
The US State Department has called the incident “deeply disturbing.”
“We did call the ambassador of Turkey into the State Department to discuss what occurred with them and express our view that this is simply unacceptable. There is an ongoing investigation,” said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
The Trump administration said it released two members of Erdogan’s detail after briefly detaining them. The guards have returned to Turkey.
“All of those involved – at all levels – must be held accountable,” said Representative Randy Hultgren in a statement.
Hultgren is a commissioner on both the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the Helsinki Commission.
(CGTN)
