— ANCA Urges Trump Administration to Take Concrete Steps to Ensure Erdogan’s Bodyguards Stand Trial
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed, as a meaningful step toward justice, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s and Police Chief Peter Newsham’s in-depth investigation that led to 18 arrest warrants – including a dozen against Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s bodyguards — in connection to the May 16th attacks on peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence.
“We commend the efforts of Mayor Bowser, Chief Newsham and all the law enforcement agencies involved in taking this step toward bringing the perpetrators to justice, and look forward to continuing to work with the relevant authorities to identify all involved,” said ANCA Exective Director Aram Hamparian. “Law enforcement is doing its part; now it’s time for the Trump Administration to take action and demand that Turkey lift any claims to diplomatic immunity for those involved in this crime, so that criminal proceedings can move forward and justice can be served.”
During a June 15th press conference, Mayor Bowser stated “I condemn this attack. It was an affront to our values as Washingtonians and as Americans and it was a clear assault on the first amendment.”
DC Police Chief Peter Newsham announced the names of the dozen members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail who have been charged with the attacks. Two Turkish-Americans have already been arrested for assault, and two Turkish Canadians have also been charged.
In response to a question from The Armenian Weekly, Chief Newsham acknowledged that investigators are looking into the role of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the May 16 attack, but indicated that, despite the available video and other evidence, there is not yet sufficient probable cause to seek his arrest.
“We have dignitaries that are in and out of this city on a daily basis. Rarely have I seen, in my almost 28 years of policing, the type of thing that I saw on Sheridan Circle on that particular day,” said Chief Newsham. “You had peaceful demonstrators that were physically assaulted and the message to folks who are going to come to our city either from another state or from another country is that’s not going to be tolerated in Washington, DC.”
The complete press conference can be viewed on the ANCA YouTube Channel:
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) commended DC police on issuing the arrest warrants, and called on the State Department to “double down on efforts to help bring these individuals to justice.”
House Intelligence Committee Ranking Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA) applauded the DC Police decision to follow up with the filing of criminal charges. “This sends an important message that while violence and repression have become the norm in Erdogan’s Turkey, they remain unacceptable here. Bringing these thugs to justice will ultimately require the State Department to prioritize this issue with Turkey, and I will be urging them to ensure that those charged today face justice,” Schiff said in a statement.”
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) tweeted that he is “encouraged that Turkish security who violated the rights of peaceful protesters in DC will face justice.”
According to the Associated Press, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the charges “send a clear message that the United States does not tolerate individuals who use intimidation and violence to stifle freedom of speech and legitimate political expression.” Secretary Tillerson did not specify what further action the Trump Administration would take in the matter. The US could seek extradition of Erdogan’s security detail or bar their return to the United States.
Hours after the arrest warrants were issued, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass and, according to a press statement, “emphasized that the decision, which clearly was not taken as a result of an impartial and independent investigation, is unacceptable.”
President Erdogan later reacted to the news, asking “What kind of a law is this? … If they [bodyguards] are not going to protect me, why would I bring them with me to America?” Erdogan vowed to fight the charges leveled against his bodyguards.
“Erdogan is doubling down on denial,” said the ANCA’s Hamparian. “Drawing on the same playbook Ankara has used in Washington since the time of the Armenian Genocide, he is – against all evidence – blaming the victim and trying to bully everyone else into silence.”
“This time, in a fit of unprecedented anger and arrogance, Erdogan’s openly insulting U.S. law enforcement and unapologetically assuming for himself the right to deny Americans our inalienable rights and Constitutional freedoms,” continued Hamparian. “Having intimidated U.S. leaders into silence on the Armenian Genocide, basically enforcing a foreign gag-rule on what we can say about our own American history, he’s now targeting our values, telling us when we can and cannot speak out as U.S. citizens.”
Hamparian was videotaping live at the scene of the May 16th attack, which took place in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence where President Erdogan was scheduled to have a closed-door meeting with representatives of The Atlantic Council, a leading think tank in Washington, DC which receives funding from Turkey. Hamparian’s video showed pro-Erdogan forces crossing a police line and beating peaceful protesters – elderly men and several women – who were on the ground bleeding during most of the attack.
Hamparian testified before a May 25th Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on this matter. Joining him at the hearing were Ms. Lusik Usoyan, Founder and President of the Ezidi Relief Fund; Mr. Murat Yusa, a local businessman and protest organizer; and Ms. Ruth Wedgwood, Edward B. Burling Professor of International Law and Diplomacy, at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Usoyan and Yusa were victims of the brutal assault on May 16th by President Erdogan’s bodyguards.
On June 6th, with a vote of 397 to 0, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously condemned Turkey in response to the attacks, taking a powerful stand against Ankara’s attempts to export its violence and intolerance to America’s shores. H.Res.354, spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), has received the public backing of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).
The House vote follows broad-based Congressional outrage expressed by over 100 Senate and House members through public statements, social media, and a series of Congressional letters.
Senate and House members have also raised concerns about the recently announced $1.2 million sale of semi-automatic guns slated for use by Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail, many of whom participated in the May 16th attacks. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Democrat Ben Cardin (D-MD) and House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ed Royce have already objected to the sale.
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Dave Trott (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) are urging colleagues to co-sign a letter to Secretary Tillerson to block the gun sale to Turkey. To contact legislators to cosign the letter, visit: anca.org/NoGunsForTurkey
ANCA live footage of the attack served as source video for CNN, AP, The Washington Post, The Daily Caller and other major media, transforming the violent incident into a global spotlight on Erdogan’s attempt to export his intolerance and aggression to American shores.
The Sunday, June 4th edition of The New York Times featured a two-page center-spread investigative report on the May 16th attack, with online version of the coverage translated to Turkish and shared widely on social media.
The New York Times coverage is available here:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/26/us/turkey-protesters-attack-video-analysis.html?_r=0
The ANCA is cited by The New York Times as a source for this report.
The May 16th protest in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence was a continuation of a demonstration held earlier in the day in front of the White House, co-hosted by the ANCA. As President Trump met with President Erdogan. human rights and religious rights groups were joined by representatives of the Kurdish, Yezidi and Armenian communities to call attention to the Erdogan regime’s escalating repression against free press, the Kurdish and other ethnic communities, as well as Turkey’s ongoing obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide.
Photo: DC Police Chief Peter Newsham announced the names of the Turkish President’s security detail who have been charged with assault. Two Turkish Americans have already been arrested and two Turkish-Canadians have also been charged.
Armenian National Committee of America Comment on Latest Arrests and Charges Filed Against Perpetrators of May 16 Erdogan-Ordered Attacks
WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian offered the following statement in the wake of the latest updates provided by Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Peter Newsham and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Kevin Donahue regarding the May 16th assault on peaceful protesters, carried out by Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s bodyguards and various Turkish government supporters.
“The May 16th Erdogan-ordered attacks on peaceful protesters in Washington DC were not only a brutal assault on American citizens but on our fundamental first amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. “We commend the efforts of Mayor Bowser, Chief Newsham and all the law enforcement agencies involved in bringing the perpetrators to justice, and look forward to continuing to work with them to identify all involved. Law enforcement is doing its part; now it’s time for the Trump Administration to take action and demand that Turkey lift any claims to diplomatic immunity for those involved in this crime, so that criminal proceedings can move forward and justice can be served.”
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian is available for interviews by phone at (202) 369-5373.
ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian was at the press conference and can be reached at (703) 585-8254 or elizabeth@anca.org.
Background:
The ANCA’s Hamparian was videotaping live at the scene of the May 16th attack, which took place in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence where President Erdogan was scheduled to have a closed-door meeting with representatives of The Atlantic Council, a leading think tank in Washington, DC which receives funding from Turkey. Hamparian’s video showed pro-Erdogan forces crossing a police line and beating peaceful protesters – elderly men and several women – who were on the ground bleeding during most of the attack.
Hamparian testified before a May 25th Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on this matter. Joining him at the hearing were Ms. Lusik Usoyan, Founder and President of the Ezidi Relief Fund; Mr. Murat Yusa, a local businessman and protest organizer; and Ms. Ruth Wedgwood, Edward B. Burling Professor of International Law and Diplomacy, at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Usoyan and Yusa were victims of the brutal assault on May 16th by President Erdogan’s bodyguards.
On June 6th, with a vote of 397 to 0, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously condemned Turkey in response to the attacks, taking a powerful stand against Ankara’s attempts to export its violence and intolerance to America’s shores. H.Res.354, spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), has received the public backing of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).
The House vote follows broad-based Congressional outrage expressed by over 100 Senate and House members through public statements, social media, and a series of Congressional letters.
Senate and House members have also raised concerns about the recently announced $1.2 million sale of semi-automatic guns slated for use by Turkish President Erdognan’s security detail, many of whom participated in the May 16th attacks. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Democrat Ben Cardin (D-MD) and House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ed Royce have already objected to the sale.
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Dave Trott (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) are urging colleagues to co-sign a letter to Secretary Tillerson to block the gun sale to Turkey. To contact legislators to cosign the letter, visit: anca.org/NoGunsForTurkey
ANCA live footage of the attack served as source video for CNN, AP, The Washington Post, The Daily Caller and other major media, transforming the violent incident into a global spotlight on Erdogan’s attempt to export his intolerance and aggression to American shores.
The Sunday, June 4th edition of The New York Times featured a two-page center-spread investigative report on the May 16th attack, with online version of the coverage translated to Turkish and shared widely on social media. The report identified Yildirim and Narin as having participated in the attacks.
The New York Times coverage is available here:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/26/us/turkey-protesters-attack-video-analysis.html?_r=0
The ANCA is cited by The New York Times as a source for this report.
The May 16th protest in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence was a continuation of a demonstration held earlier in the day in front of the White House, co-hosted by the ANCA. As President Trump met with President Erdogan. human rights and religious rights groups were joined by representatives of the Kurdish, Yezidi and Armenian communities to call attention to the Erdogan regime’s escalating repression against free press, the Kurdish and other ethnic communities, as well as Turkey’s ongoing obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide.
Breaking: Warrants Issued for the Arrest of Members of President Erdogan’s Security Detail
D.C. Police Release the Names of Charged Individuals; ANCA Urges Trump Administration to Take Action and Demand that Turkey Lift Claims to Diplomatic Immunity for those Involved in Crime
(ARMENIAN WEEKLY) WASHINGTON — During a press conference on June 15, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham announced that arrest warrants have been issued for the arrest of 12 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail and Turkish police officers in connection with the May 16 attack on peaceful protesters in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C.
Yesterday, it was reported that United States Marshals had arrested two Turkish men living in the U.S., for their role in beating peaceful protesters on May 16. Two arrests of Turkish-Americans Eyup Yildirim—an owner of a construction company in New Jersey—and Sinan Narin—a Virginia resident—were made by law enforcement officials. Yildirim was charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury, felony Aggravated Assault, and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner, while Narin was charged with felony Aggravated Assault and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner.
According to a Washington D.C. Police Department press release, a total of 18 individuals have been charged or are facing charges. Photographs of the 14 individuals, including Turkish security officers, who have outstanding warrants for their arrests, were also released by D.C. Police.
In response to a question from the Armenian Weekly, D.C. Police Chief Newsham acknowledged that investigators are looking into the role of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the May 16 attack, but indicated that, despite the available video and other evidence, there is not yet sufficient probable cause to seek his arrest.
“As I’ve said before, I condemn this attack. It was an affront to our values as Washingtonians and as Americans and was a clear assault on the First Amendment. As Americans, the First Amendment grants us the right to assemble and protest peacefully, and here in D.C., we are committed to safeguarding and protecting that right,” Mayor Bowser said during the press conference. She then thanked the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. State Department, and the D.C. U.S. Attorney for their cooperation with the Washington D.C. Police Department.
Below is video of the press conference via ABC News Politics.
“I just want to be perfectly clear that we take our position in the United States as the nation’s capital very seriously. We host demonstrations month-to-month. We host millions of people who come to the seat of their government to protest peacefully. We support them, we make sure that they are safe, but we also make sure that they follow our laws. Certainly anyone travelling to the United States will be held to that same standard. We will defend the First Amendment and we will make sure that our laws are being enforced,” the Mayor added.
“The May 16th Erdogan-ordered attacks on peaceful protesters in Washington D.C. were not only a brutal assault on American citizens but on our fundamental first amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly,” Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian said, following the June 15 announcement. “We commend the efforts of Mayor Bowser, Chief Newsham, and all the law enforcement agencies involved in bringing the perpetrators to justice, and look forward to continuing to work with them to identify all involved. Law enforcement is doing its part; now it’s time for the Trump Administration to take action and demand that Turkey lift any claims to diplomatic immunity for those involved in this crime, so that criminal proceedings can move forward and justice can be served,” Hamparian added.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) commended the Washington D.C. Police Department and applauded the decision to follow up with the filing of criminal charges. “This sends an important message that while violence and repression have become the norm in Erdogan’s Turkey, they remain unacceptable here. Bringing these thugs to justice will ultimately require the State Department to prioritize this issue with Turkey, and I will be urging them to ensure that those charged today face justice,” Schiff said in a statement.
According to the D.C. Police, 14 individuals have outstanding warrants for their arrests and are identified below:
- Turgut Akar, a Turkish security official, charged with misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Ismail Dalkiran, a Turkish security official, charged with misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Servet Erkan, a Turkish security official, charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Tugay Erkan, a Turkish security official, charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Ahmet Karabay, a Turkish security official, charged with misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Feride Kayasan, a Turkish security official, charged with misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Lutfu Kutluca, a Turkish security official, charged with misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Mustafa Murat Sumercan, a Turkish security official, charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Gokhan Yildirim, a Turkish security official, charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury
- Ismail Ergunduz, a Turkish security official, charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Mehmet Sarman, a Turkish security official, charged with felony Aggravated Assault and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Hamza Yurteri, a Turkish security official, charged with felony Aggravated Assault and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
- Mahmut Sami Ellialti, charged with felony Aggravated Assault and felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury
- Ahmet Cengizham Dereci, charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner
The Armenian Weekly is following the story closely and will provide updates as they become available.
D.C. Police: 12 Turkish Guards Charged for Beating Protesters, No Probable Cause Yet to Charge Erdogan
The men ‘were given a free pass out of the country,’ one activist says.
(usnews.com) A dozen men who traveled with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the U.S. last month have been charged criminally for a high-profile attack on protesters in the nation’s capital.
The Turkish guards were filmed May 16 breaking through a police line, then kicking and punching protesters who had been chanting “baby-killer Erdogan” as the authoritarian leader arrived at the Turkish ambassador’s home.
The attack outraged American lawmakers, and the House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution calling for prosecution of assailants.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham announced the charges at a Thursday press conference, saying that “in the United States, and particularly in the District of Columbia, we hold our ability to peacefully protest as a sacred right.”
Newsham said arrest warrants for assault were issued for 12 Turkish citizens, including nine Turkish security officers and three Turkish police officers. He said police would like the public’s help to identify additional assailants.
Two U.S. citizens who allegedly participated in the attack – Sinan Narin of Virginia and Eyup Yildirim of New Jersey – were arrested this week on felony assault charges, and two Canadians also have been charged.
Erdogan, arriving at the ambassador’s home after meeting President Donald Trump at the White House, could be seen in footage captured by Voice of America watching the attack after appearing to relay a message to the assailants.
Newsham said police do not currently have plans to seek an arrest warrant against Erdogan, whose precise role in the attack remains unclear.
“We don’t have any evidence right now to suggest we have probable cause to make an arrest of the president,” he said.
The Turkish embassy in Washington declined to comment Thursday morning. Spokespeople for the embassy and the Turkish foreign ministry have ignored repeated requests for comment on whether Erdogan ordered the attack.
Two of Erdogan’s guards were briefly detained and released on the day of the incident and allowed to return to Turkey. The State Department said the men enjoyed customary diplomatic immunity as members of a visiting heads of state’s entourage.
Several former State Department legal advisers, however, told U.S. News traveling guards likely would enjoy diplomatic immunity only if there was an agreement before Erdogan visited. Officials who do enjoy immunity lose protection when they leave their posts.
“They were given a free pass out of the country,” says Aram Suren Hamparian, executive director of Armenian National Committee of America, which helped organize the anti-Erdogan protest.
“We should ask Turkey to extradite these people back to the U.S. for trial, where they can explain why they kicked people in the head,” says Hamparian, who says he was not assaulted during the Sheridan Circle clash.
One victim shown in the Voice of America footage being kicked as she lay on the ground, U.S. citizen Lucy Usoyan, who leads the Ezidi Relief Fund, says she is pleased to hear about the criminal charges.
“I’m excited to see that the Turkish government is being held accountable. I think it’s a significant event and it’s a historical moment that we all have to remember,” she says.
But Usoyan says more needs to be done.
“This was ordered specifically by President Erdogan himself. There is no doubt about it, and I think he needs to apologize,” she says, adding that she hopes Trump personally will address the matter.
Watch: Footage of the attack: https://www.facebook.com/amerikaninsesi/videos/10158768770105442/
Usoyan says she continued to experience anxiety and symptoms from her head injuries. She says she suffered a spell of severe dizziness Wednesday.
Ceren Borazan, a Turkish citizen living in New Jersey who was pictured in a headlock during the attack, says, “I’m thankful for the justice system of the United States” and that she hopes the perpetrators will face trial.
Borazan, a Kurd, says she cannot return to Turkey because of the fallout and that the attack “changed my life.”
Sayid Reza Yasa, a Kurdish-American U.S. citizen who was among the most seriously injured, says the charges are “great news.”
“Someone has to tell them, ‘Hey, this is not Turkey. This is a free country,’” he says.
Yasa, 60, was kicked repeatedly by guards as he lay on a sidewalk. He says he suffered a concussion and a broken nose. He lost one tooth and another is loose.
“There still is a bump on my nose,” he says. “I have memory problems right now. Other than that, I’m OK.”
Yasa and Usoyan are planning to file lawsuits. Yasa says others plan to do so as well. Borazan declined to comment on her plans.
In addition to the two Turkish personnel who were briefly detained, police arrested two activists, charging Ayten Necmi of Woodside, New York, with aggravated assault and Jalal Kheirabaoi of Fairfax, Virginia, with assaulting a police officer. One is believed to be an Erdogan supporter, the other an opponent.
In a recent statement, the Turkish foreign ministry said it hoped “developments regarding this matter, which we will be following closely, will not overshadow the visit which we consider was productive.”
Consequences are likely to reverberate, however.
Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and sponsor of the unanimous House measure, said the State Department should demand extradition of the guards and scrap a proposed $1.2 million sale of semiautomatic weapons to Erdogan’s security force. Such sales generally are not presented to Congress for a possible up-or-down vote unless there’s approval from the top Republican and Democrat on the House and Senate foreign relations committees.
“These types of unprovoked attacks on innocent Americans and their Constitutional rights can never happen again,” Royce said in a statement.
Video: Erdogan watches attack: https://www.facebook.com/amerikaninsesi/videos/10158777644385442/
A spokesman for the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, which will prosecute the men if they return, did not immediately provide comment.
Turkey and Erdogan supporters attempted to cast blame on the attack victims as the incident attracted international attention.
A correspondent for Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency wrote that when Erdogan arrived nearby “protesters continued their grave insults, so some Turkish citizens and the head of the president’s security detail stepped in.”
“Armenians have a different insight on this,” Hamparian says. “We were victims of a genocide a century ago and the Turkish government’s narrative is the Armenians, an unarmed minority, were the perpetrators. … In this case, you had people holding signs being beaten by armed, trained guards, and it’s so plain for all the world to see what happened – but they still play that card, blame the victim.”
Դաշնակցային Դատախազութիւնը Կը Մեղադրէ Էրտողանի Թիկնապահները
(ԱՍՊԱՐԷԶ) ՈՒԱՇԻՆԿԹԸՆ.- Ամերիկեան մեծագոյն թերթերէն «Ուոլ Սթրիթ Ճըրնըլ»ը եւ «Նիւ Եորք Թայմզ»ը կը տեղեկագրեն, որ Միացեալ Նահանգներու դատախազութիւնը մեղադրական ամբաստանագիր ներկայացուցած է Թուրքիոյ նախագահ Ռեչեփ Թայիփ Էրտողանի տասէ աւելի թիկնապահներուն դէմ, որոնք մասնակից եղած էին Ուաշինկթընի մէջ թրքական դեսպանատան առջեւ խաղաղ ցուցարարներու դէմ կատարուած ծեծուըտուքին:
Թուրքիա-Միացեալ Նահանգներ յարաբերութիւններուն մէջ սրում յառաջացնող այս քայլին դիմող դաշնակցային դատախազութիւնը կրնայ պահանջել ամբաստանեալներու արտայանձնումը Թուրքիայէն, կամ արգիլել անոնց Ամերիկա մուտքը:
«Խաղաղ ցուցարարներու վրայ դաժան յարձակում» որակուած այս յանցագործութեան արձագանգողները Միացեալ Նահանգներու կառավարութենէն կտրուկ քայլեր պահանջեցին Թուրքիոյ դէմ: Եղան նաեւ Թուրքիոյ դեսպանը Ուաշինկթընէն վտարելու պահանջներ:
Յիշեցնենք, որ նախօրէին ոստիկանութիւնը թուրք ծագումով երկու ամերիկացներ՝ Էյուպ Եիլտիրիմն ու Սինան Նարինը ձերբակալած էր, մեղադրելով զանոնք «դաժան յարձակումին» մասնակից ըլլալու յանցանքով: Գանատայի քաղաքացի երկու այլ թուրքեր եւս մեղադրուած են նոյն յանցանքով:
Ամերիկայի Հայ Դատի յանձնախումբը պահանջած է նախագահ Տանըլտ Թրամփի վարչակազմէն, որ զրկէ Էրտողանի թիկնապահները անձեռնմխելիութեան իրաւունքէն:
«Ամերիկեան իրաւապահ մարմինները իրենց գործը կը կատարեն: Հիմա կարգը նախագահ Թրամփի վարչակազմին է, որ պէտք է Թուրքիոյ իշխանութիւններէն պահանջէ դիւանագիտական անձեռնմխելիութենէ զրկել յանցագործութեան մասնակիցները», յայտնեց Ամերիկայի Հայ Դատի յանձնախումբի գրասենեակի վարիչ տնօրէն Արամ Համբարեան:
«Ասպարէզ»ը երէկ հետեւալ տեղեկագրութիւնը հրապարակեց իր առցանց էջին վրայ.
Միացեալ Նահանգներու ոստիկանութիւնը ձերբակալած է Մայիս 16ին թրքական դեսպանատան դիմաց խաղաղ ցոյց կատարողներու վրայ յարձակող երկու թուրք տղամարդ, որոնք ամերիկայի բնակիչներ են:
«Տը Տէյլի Քոլըր»ի վերոնշեալ տեղեկութիւնը փոխանցող աղբիւրը ձերբակալեալներուն ինքնութիւնը չէ բացայայտած:
Մինչ այդ, Ուաշինկթընի մէջ գրասենեակ ունեցող թրքական «Ուաշինկթըն Հաթթի» լրատուական ծառայութիւնը կը յայտնէ, որ ձերբակալեալներէն մէկը՝ շինարարական ընկերութեան մը սեփականտէր Էյուպ Եըլտիրիմ, Յունիս 14ին կալանուած էր Նիւ Ճըրզիի մէջ:
Ձերբակալուած երկրորդ անձը Վըրճինիայի բնակիչ Սինան Նարինն է:
Եըլտիրիմ տեսերիզով նկարուած է Լուսի Ուսոյեանը ծեծելու ընթացքին: Ծագումով քիւրտ Լուսին հիւանդանոց փոխադրուած էր՝ գլուխէն ստացած հարուածներուն պատճառով:
Ամերիկայի Հայ Դատի յանձնախումբի գործադիր տնօրէն Արամ Համբարեան այս առթիւ յայտնեց. «Մենք անհանգիստ ենք, որովհետեւ ահա մէկ ամիս անցած օտար կառավարութեան գործակալներու կողմէ այս դատապարտելի յարձակումէն եւ տակաւին Էրտողանի թիկնապահները իրենց յանցագործութեան համար չեն մեղադրուած եւ նախագահ Թրամփի վարչակարգը չէ պահանջած Անգարայէն, որ այս յարձակման մասնակիցները զրկէ անձեռնմխելիութենէ»:
Համբարեան շարունակեց՝ ըսելով. «Այս ձերբակալութիւնները լաւ սկիզբ են: Սակայն, այս դէպքը սոսկ յանցագործներ պատժելով կարելի չէ աւարտած նկատել: Ամերիկայի կառավարութիւնը պարտաւոր է կեցուածք ճշդելու, երբ օտար պետութեան մը գործակալները կը փորձեն բիրտ միջոցներով ճնշել ամերիկացի քաղաքացիներու բողոքը: Սպիտակ տան եւ արտաքին գործոց նախարարութեան անգործութիւնը չափազանց անհասկնալի է՝ բացմաթիւ քոնկրեսականներու կողմէ արձանագրուած բողոքի լոյսին տակ»: