— Rep. Ted Poe Calls for Continued Protests at Turkish Embassy, with Reps. Rohrabacher, Cicilline, Wagner, and Sherman Offering to Attend in Solidarity
WASHINGTON, DC – On May 25th, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously adopted H.Res.354 condemning the May 16th attacks on peaceful protesters by Turkish President Erdogan’s bodyguards, “calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.” Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY) were joined by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) in spearheading the Congressional effort, likely to be voted on in the full House in early June.
“The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s unanimous adoption of H.Res.354 represents a powerful bipartisan condemnation of Turkish President Erdogan’s attempts to export this brand of brutality to the United States,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “He and the regimes before him have gotten away with a century of genocide and repression – from the Armenians, Greeks and Assyrian in 1915 to the Kurds and other minorities today – through international intimidation, threats and coverups, and now violence on the streets of our nation’s capital. Congress and the Trump Administration need to send a strong message that this stops now.”
The full text of the resolution is provided below.
Citing the details of the May 16th attacks by President Erdogan’s bodyguards on peaceful protesters, and noting that this is the third time similar incidents have occurred in the U.S., Chairman Royce noted “The rights of peaceful protest and free expression are fundamental values in any democracy. By passing this resolution we reaffirm our commitment to protect these rights against all who seek to suppress them.”
“I was shocked. The last thing we expect to see in the United States is a strong man’s thugs silencing peaceful protesters,” said Ranking Democrat Engel, who noted that he had been invited to a meeting at the Turkish Embassy during the time of the beating but had not gone. “If Turkish government officials are going to come to our country and try to stifle American democracy and freedom of speech, there must be consequences.”
Noting that “Turkey has been under a downward spiral under an aspiring dictator, Erdogan,” Texas Congressman Ted Poe (R) condemned the attacks. “We will have no foreign tyrant violating our sacred rights on American soil. Justice demands that he be held accountable and Turkey be held accountable,” said Rep. Poe, who then encouraged protesters to return to the Turkish Embassy and continue their protests, with several House Foreign Affairs Committee Members, including Rep. Poe, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Rep. Anne Wagner (R-MO) all offering to join in solidarity.
Complete coverage of Congressional remarks will be available shortly. Video of the hearing is available on the House Foreign Affairs Committee YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxooewgudig
At 12 noon, Rep. Rohrabacher is leading the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe hearing on the May 16th Erdogan-ordered attacks where Hamparian will be offering testimony, along with Ms. Lusik Usoyan, Founder and President of the Ezidi Relief Fund and Mr. Murat Yusa, a local businessman and protest organizer. Usoyan and Yusa were victims of the brutal assault on May 16th by President Erdogan’s bodyguards.
The hearing will also be webcast live at https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-feed/
ANCA Executive Director Aram 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.
Voice of America Turkish division, in their video coverage shot from the vantage point of the Turkish Ambassador’s house, reported that the attackers belonged to President Erdogan’s security detail and were responsible for escalating the violence.
Additional VOA Turkish video has now surfaced showing President Erdogan ordering his security detail to attack the protesters, then watching calmly as the beatings were carried out. Audio analysis carried out by the Daily Caller shows Erdogan’s bodyguards yelling “gel gel gel” — “come, come, come” — and “dalın diyor dalın diyor dalın diyor,” – “he says attack, he says attack, he says attack.”
The Washington Post has done a second-by-second analysis of the VOA Turkish videos and identified the Erdogan’s order of the attack, available here: http://wapo.st/2qCRjjD
The U.S. State Department called the Turkish Ambassador in for a discussion last week regarding the incident, officially expressing their dismay, calling the actions of President Erdogan’s body guards “unacceptable.” President Trump has yet to comment on the matter.
In a highly incendiary move, on Monday, May 22nd, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry called in the U.S. Ambassador John Bass for a diplomatic discussion, accusing U.S. police and security personnel of “aggressive and unprofessional actions.”
The 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.
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Text of Resolution H.Res.354
Condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence on May 16, 2017, and calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. ROYCE of California (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCCARTHY, and Mr. HOYER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence on May 16, 2017, and calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Whereas on May 16, 2017, President Donald J. Trump hosted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a longstanding NATO ally, for an official meeting at the White House to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation and bilateral issues;
Whereas on the evening of May 16, 2017, over two dozen protesters gathered outside of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate opposition to Turkish Government policies;
Whereas after hours of peaceful protest, violence erupted when pro-Erdogan supporters and individuals from the Turkish Embassy grounds pushed past District of Columbia police officers to brutally attack the demonstrators;
Whereas those Turkish officials blatantly suppressed the First Amendment rights of United States citizens, and multiple armed Turkish security officials beat, kicked, and choked unarmed demonstrators;
Whereas multiple video recordings of the violence and reports by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and the Department of State confirm that the demonstrators did not instigate the violence;
Whereas at least 11 individuals were seriously injured in the ensuing brawl, with two individuals requiring immediate hospitalization;
Whereas two armed Turkish security officers attached to a security detail were detained at the scene for physically assaulting Federal agents;
Whereas those two Turkish security officers were later re- leased and subsequently allowed to leave the United States because they held Derived Head of State immunity;
Whereas the Department of State did not request that Turkey waive the immunity for these two security officers in order to fully investigate the assault prior to their being released from custody;
Whereas a joint criminal investigation into the incident is on- going with the combined efforts of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service;
Whereas at no point was President Erdogan in danger;
Whereas immunity for diplomatic personnel and certain other foreign officials is a core principle, as is the right to pro- test peacefully and freely in the United States;
Whereas this is the third instance of violence perpetrated by members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail in United States territory;
Whereas in 2011, a brawl erupted in the halls of the United Nations General Assembly between members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail and United Nations security officers, resulting in one United Nations security officer being hospitalized due to serious injuries;
Whereas in 2016, members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail engaged in unwarranted violence against journalists reporting on an event at the Brookings Institution;
Whereas Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on May 21, 2017, that the violence outside the Turkish Embassy was ‘‘outrageous’’ and ‘‘simply unacceptable’’; and
Whereas the right to assembly, peaceful protest, and freedom of speech are essential and protected rights in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that—
(1) the rights to peacefully assemble and freely express one’s views are essential to the fabric of
American democracy;
(2) the Turkish security forces acted in an un-professional and brutal manner, reflecting poorly on President Erdogan and the Government of Turkey;
(3) any Turkish security officials who directed, oversaw, or participated in efforts by Turkish security forces to illegally suppress peaceful protests on May 16, 2017, should be charged and prosecuted under United States law;
(4) the United States Secret Service and the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State should review this incident and confirm with the Turkish National Police the standards expected by visiting security details to prevent future violent incidents;
(5) the Department of State should immediately request the waiver of immunity of any Turkish security detail official engaged in assault in the United States prior to release of that individual from custody;
(6) the Department of State should conduct a review of its own security procedures to determine how to mitigate the likelihood of such an event in the future;
(7) the United States’ respect for free speech requires officials of the United States to speak out against such incidents; and
(8) the United States should take steps to strengthen freedoms for the press and civil society in countries such as Turkey, and combat efforts by foreign leaders to suppress free and peaceful protest in their own countries.
Photo: Rep. Ted Poe Calls for Continued Protests at Turkish Embassy, with Reps. Rohrabacher, Cicilline, Wagner, and Sherman Offering to Attend in Solidarity
Արտաքին Յարաբերութեանց Յանձնախումբը Դատապարտեց Էրտողանի Թիկնապահներուն Բռնարարքները
(ԱՍՊԱՐԷԶ) ՈՒԱՇԻՆԿԹԸՆ.- Ամերիկայի Հայ Դատի յանձնախումբը կը տեղեկացնէ, թէ Հինգշաբթի, Մայիս 25ին, Ներկայացուցիչներու տան Արտաքին յարաբերութեանց յանձնախումբը միաձայնութեամբ վաւերացուց Մայիս 16ին տեղի ունեցած խաղաղ ցուցարարներու վրայ Թուրքիոյ նախագահ Ռեչեփ Թայիփ Էրտողանի թիկնապահներուն կողմէ առաջնորդուած վայրագ յարձակումը դատապարտող բանաձեւը։
Յարձակումը դատապարտելու համար պատրաստուած թիւ 354 բանաձեւը ներկայացուած էր Արտաքին յարաբերութեանց յանձնախումբի ատենապետ Էտ Ռոյսի եւ նոյն յանձնախումբի բարձրաստիճան անդամ Էլիըթ Էնկըլի կողմէ, Ներկայացուցիչներու տան մեծամասնութեան ղեկավար Քեւըն ՄըքՔարթիի եւ դեմոկրատ ղեկավարներէն Սթենի Հոյըրի աջակցութեամբ։
Բանաձեւին վաւերացումը յոյժ կարեւոր նկատող Ռոյսի եւ Էնկըլի ելոյթներուն կողքին, յատկանշական ելոյթ մը ունեցած է նաեւ քոնկրեսական Թետ Փօ, որ կոչ ըրած է Թուրքիոյ դեսպանատան առջեւ ցոյցերը կրկնապատկելու։ «Պէտք չէ արտօնենք, որ օտար բռնատէր մը մեր սուրբ իրաւունքները ոտնակոխէ ամերիկեան հողի վրայ։ Արդարութիւնը կը պահանջէ, որ ան եւ Թուրքիան պատասխանատուութեան կանչուին», ըսած է Փօ։
Բանաձեւին զօրակցելու ելոյթներ ունեցան նաեւ քոնկրեսականներ Տանա Ռորպաքըր, Տէյվիտ Սիսիլին, Պրետ Շըրմըն եւ Էն Ուեկնըր։
Նիստի տեսանիւթը կարելի է դիտել՝ այցելելով www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxooewgudig կայքէջը։
Այս գծով, Արտաքին յարաբերութեանց յանձնախումբի Եւրոպայի հարցերով ենթայանձնախումբին առջեւ վկայութիւն տուած են նոյն ցոյցին մասնակցած Ամերիկայի Հայ Դատի յանձնախումբի գործադիր վարիչ Արամ Համբարեան, անոր ընթացքին վիրաւորուած Լուսիկ Ուսոյեան եւ Մուրատ Եուսա։ Նշենք, որ ազգութեամբ եզիտի Լուսիկ Ուսոյեանը երեք տարեկանին իր ծնողներուն հետ հեռացած է Հայաստանէն, սակայն Հայաստան կը մնան անոր բազմաթիւ ազգականները, որոնցմէ մէկն էր անցեալ տարուան Ապրիլեան քառօրեայ պատերազմին ընթացքին վայրագօրէն սպաննուած Քիարամ Սլոյեան։
Համբարեան ողջունեց սոյն բանաձեւին միաձայնութեամբ վաւերացումը՝ շեշտելով, որ Էրտողանին պէտք չէ արտօնուի, որ իր բռնարարքները Միացեալ Նահանգներ արտածէ։
Բանաձեւին մէջ կը շեշտուի, որ խաղաղ ցուցարարներու վրայ կատարուած այս յարձակումը ոտնակոխում մըն է ամերիկեան սկզբունքներուն եւ Միացեալ Նահանգներու քաղաքացիներու իրաւանց։ Հոն նաեւ կը քննադատուի այն իրողութիւնը, որ ամերիկացի քաղաքացիներ ծեծած երկու թուրք թիկնապահները, կարճ ժամանակով ձերբակալուելէ ետք՝ ազատ արձակուած են, նկատի ունենալով անոնց դիւանագիտական անձեռնմխելիութիւնը, հակառակ անոր որ արտաքին գործոց նախարարութիւնը կրնար անոնց անձեռնմխելիութիւնը քաշելու պահանջ ներկայացնել Անգարայի իշխանութեանց, նկատի ունենալով անոնց բռնարարքներուն տարողութիւնը։
Նաեւ կը շեշտուի, որ այս մէկը Էրտողանի թիկնապահներուն կողմէ արձանագրուած առնուազն երրորդ վայրագ միջադէպն է Միացեալ Նահանգներու մէջ, ու կը պահանջուի պաշտօնապէս ամբաստանել ու դատապարտել բոլոր թիկնապահները, որոնք խախտած են ամերիկեան օրէնքները։
Բանաձեւին նեցուկ կանգնելու համար, կրնաք ձեր քոնկրեսականներուն դիմել՝ այցելելով http://marchtojustice.org/issues/erdogan-call եւ anca.org/rapid կայքէջերը։
(The New York Times) The New York Times reviewed videos and photos to track the actions of 24 men, including armed members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail, who attacked protesters in Washington last week. Many of the protesters were American citizens.
The men kicked people lying on the ground and put a woman in a chokehold just a mile from the White House. They outnumbered the protesters nearly two to one.
The State Department has condemned the episode, and some American lawmakers have called for the men to be prosecuted. But none have been charged with a crime. Here’s what video of the main actors shows about the identities of the men and the roles they played in the clash.
Men in Dark Suits
Rushed, punched protesters
Rushed, punched protesters
Kicked, punched protesters
Kicked man in head
Choked, slammed woman
Punched and kicked man
Punched a protester
Punched, kicked a protester
Punched, kicked two protesters
Kicked man on ground
Ten of the men who attacked protesters appear to be part of a formal security detail. They dressed in dark suits, and they wore in-ear radio receivers, Turkish breast pins and lanyards with identification cards. At least four of the men carried guns.
Two of these men charged protesters and appeared to start the main part of the fight.
We used five camera angles to track the movements of these two men throughout the melee. One man’s identity card shows Turkish and American flags and Turkey’s presidential seal, suggesting he is a member of the delegation visiting the United States.
Sayid Reza Yasa, the man with the bullhorn seen below, was lying on the ground when two of these men kicked him in the torso and face.
At one point, as many as four of the men were attacking the same protester.
Another guard choked Ceren Borazan, 26, a protester, and slammed her to the ground. “He was saying ‘You are dead,’ ” Ms. Borazan told The Times in an interview. “I felt so awful. As a woman, as an American, as a Kurd. Right now I don’t even feel safe here.”
The identities of these men are unclear. But Turkey’s state-owned news wire, Anadolu Agency, which filmed the violence, reported that “the president’s security detail and Turkish police” were involved in the fight.
A representative at the Turkish Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the people involved in the violence. In a statement last week, the embassy said that the protesters caused the violence by “aggressively provoking” Turkish-American citizens who had gathered to greet the president and had responded in self-defense.
Men in Khaki
Punched several people
Kicked man on ground
Knocked women overheavy
Repeatedly punched woman
Punched protesters
Punched a protester
Six men who attacked protesters wore outfits resembling a summer uniform worn by Turkish guards – khaki pants, black T-shirts and green or brown shirts. Here are three of them:
These three men charged at protesters. One man knocked two women to the ground, and another man repeatedly punched Lucy Usoyan, a protester, as she lay on the ground. The third man kicked Mr. Yasa after he was thrown to the ground moments earlier.
In this video, which was taken after the fight had been broken up, four of the men stand around, and one of them is arguing with a Washington police officer.
Three members of this group of men rushed into the melee, attacking at least three protesters.
Civilian supporters of Erdogan
Kicked woman on ground
Kicked protester on ground
Punched protester repeatedly
Kicked man and woman
Kicked two protesters
Kicked woman on ground
Punched a protester
Kicked man on ground
Some of the attackers identified themselves as supporters of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who were visiting Washington to meet him. Most dressed casually and did not appear to be armed, and their connection with the Turkish security detail, if any, is not known.
But they played a central role in the fighting. Two of these men, Alpkenan Dereci and Sinan Narin, were involved at the very beginning, when they pushed and punched protesters they met in the street.
Mr. Dereci, who was wearing a yellow T-shirt in this video, joined the skirmish, repeatedly punching a man. A protester then struck him with a bullhorn, leaving a gash on his face.
Mr. Narin, who owns a property in Virginia, said protesters ripped his shirt and threw bottles at him. “The fight started with me,” Mr. Narin wrote in Turkish on Facebook.
He posted video to Facebook that shows his shirt ripped and his face bloodied, matching footage taken from farther away.
After the fight grew, Mr. Narin followed security guards and repeatedly kicked one protester, Ms. Usoyan, on the ground. A Washington officer then escorted him back across the street.
In an interview, Mr. Narin acknowledged kicking the woman on the ground. “I wasn’t paying attention,” he said. “I thought it was a man. I would never kick a woman.”
He said he was trying to defend himself. The protesters were “terrorists,” he said, who started the fight by punching and spitting on him when he tried to get them to “calm down.”
The second man, Alpkenan Dereci, traveled to Washington from Toronto with his cousin Ahmet C. Dereci, according to a report on TRT, the Turkish state broadcaster. A video shows the man identified as Ahmet dressed in a purple T-shirt, punching and kicking a protester when the second attack broke out.
A third man, Eyup Yildirim, is seen on video telling police he is a cousin of Alpkenan Dereci. “I’m an American citizen and a taxpayer,” he said. He repeatedly kicked Ms. Usoyan, 34, as she lay on the ground. According to New Jersey records, Mr. Yildirim is 50 and manages three companies in that state.
Mr. Yildirim, Alpkenan Dereci and Ahmet C. Dereci did not respond to requests for comment.
In an interview, Ms. Usoyan said that she had sustained a concussion, and that a doctor had authorized six weeks off from work for recovery. “I’m glad I’m alive,” she said.
The President’s Entourage
Head of Security
Kicked, punched protesters
Took instructions
Turkey’s president, Mr. Erdogan, watched the brawl from a black Mercedes-Benz sedan parked nearby, at the Turkish ambassador’s residence. His role in the clash, if any, is unclear. But video of his entourage shows that at least one member of the security detail positioned next to him rushed into the fight and started kicking and punching protesters.
While sitting in the car, Mr. Erdogan conferred with Muhsin Kose, his head of security, who leaned into the car’s rear door. After speaking with Mr. Erdogan, Mr. Kose talked into his earpiece, and three security personnel who were guarding the president’s car hurried toward the protest.
The brawl began moments later, and one of these men, a heavy-set bald man, appeared on video punching and kicking people.
Mr. Kose talked to Mr. Erdogan throughout the brawl. Two of Mr. Kose’s colleagues met on the lawn as the brawl ended and return to the car, and then Mr. Erdogan left his car and entered the ambassador’s residence.