{"id":12835,"date":"2017-07-19T13:54:40","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T13:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=12835"},"modified":"2017-07-19T13:54:40","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T13:54:40","slug":"u-s-legislators-demand-erdogan-apologize-and-extradite-perpetrators-of-embassy-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=12835","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Legislators Demand Erdogan Apologize and Extradite Perpetrators of Embassy Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Senior members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX), Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Co-Chairman Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA) and John Sarbanes (D-MD) condemned Turkish President Erdogan\u2019s violent crackdown \u2013 both in Turkey and the U.S. \u2013 during \u201cA Stand for Free Speech\u201d held at Washington, DC’s Sheridan Circle, site of the May 16th attack by the Turkish presidential security detail which hospitalized nine people, reported the Armenian National Committee of America<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Aram Hamparian: \u201cWe\u2019re here affirming our First Amendment freedoms – rejecting Ankara\u2019s violent efforts to enforce its gag-rule against American citizens.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here affirming our First Amendment freedoms – rejecting Ankara\u2019s violent efforts to enforce its gag-rule against American citizens,\u201d said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), which organized the event in coordination with the Sheridan Circle May 16 Initiative (including many victims of the beatings), and a host of Kurdish, Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and Christian groups including the American Kurdish Association (AKA), In Defense of Christians, American Hellenic Council, Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights, A Demand for Action, Hellenic American Leadership Council, AHEPA, and the Armenian Youth Federation.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe idea that a foreign tyrant can come to the United States [\u2026] and allow his goons to beat up Americans on American soil is preposterous,\u201d said Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), who went on to call for the extradition of those charged with the attack. \u201cThey need to have a trial and they need to go to jail, if they\u2019re convicted. All of them – all of them involved in the assault.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe idea that a foreign tyrant can come to the United States [\u2026] and allow his goons to beat up Americans on American soil is preposterous,\u201d said Rep. Poe, who went on to call for the extradition of those charged with the attack. \u201cThey need to have a trial and they need to go to jail, if they\u2019re convicted. All of them – all of them involved in the assault.\u201d Rep. Poe, who had called for Congressional colleagues to join him in returning to the site of the May 16th beatings during the May 25th House Foreign Affairs Committee consideration of a measure condemning the crimes, was unequivocal: \u201cThe Turkish Government is responsible for that action, and they need to be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) called on the \u201cState Department and the Justice Department to do everything they can to extradite the perpetrators of this vicious attack on US citizens and US soil. They need to be held to account.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rep. Jim McGovern voiced similar concerns, calling on the \u201cState Department and the Justice Department to do everything they can to extradite the perpetrators of this vicious attack on US citizens and US soil. They need to be held to account.\u201d He noted that the Turkish government \u201cshowed its brutality when faced with people who disagree with them — people who believe in the reality of the Armenian Genocide, people who believe in the reality of freedom of religion in Turkey, people who believe in the reality of minority rights in Turkey, and people who believe in the reality of the security of Greece and Cyprus.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA): \u201cUntil [Erdogan] apologizes to the American people for having his thugs beat up American citizens who are expressing their opinion, Mr. Erdogan should not be welcome to come back in the United States for a visit.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Citing the increasing repression within Turkey, Rep. Rohrabacher stressed that, \u201cErdogan beat people here\u2026 and the American people need to know this was nothing compared to the suppression and brutality that Erdogan is showing his own people in Turkey.\u201d He went on to send a clear message to Turkey\u2019s authoritarian regime: \u201cUntil [Erdogan] apologizes to the American people for having his thugs beat up American citizens who are expressing their opinion, Mr. Erdogan should not be welcome to come back in the United States for a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rep. Costa noted that “The Turkish government owes us an apology and more than that; those injuries that took place are a reflection of the lack of respect of human rights in Turkey today where literally thousands of Turkish citizens have found themselves imprisoned, found members of the press in jail, only for trying to protect their own views.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rep. Costa concurred, noting \u201cThe Turkish government owes us an apology and more than that; those injuries that took place are a reflection of the lack of respect of human rights in Turkey today where literally thousands of Turkish citizens have found themselves imprisoned, found members of the press in jail, only for trying to protect their own views.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rep. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) reminded President Erdogan that \u201cin this country, under our First Amendment, under our constitutional democracy, we have the right to peaceably assemble.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rep. Paul Sarbanes reminded President Erdogan that \u201cin this country, under our First Amendment, under our constitutional democracy, we have the right to peaceably assemble.\u201d He noted that Turkey\u2019s authoritarianism is nothing new for those in attendance of the protest \u2013 \u201cdiscrimination, aggression, repression, (and) violence directed at the Kurds, at Armenians, at other ethnic and religious minorities, and of course there\u2019s the shameful legacy of the Armenian Genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n

A number of victims of the brutal attacks spoke out in defiance of President Erdogan\u2019s authoritarian tactics.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an American citizen, I was violated from exercising [my] first amendment right of freedom of speech,\u201d said Sayid Reza Yasa, who lost a tooth, required stitches on his nose, and continues to suffer from the consequences of a concussion. \u201cI will never be afraid of them, but next time I go, I\u2019ll take my hard hat with me, just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ceren Borazan, who was videotaped in a choke-hold by a member of the Turkish security detail, outlined the litany of ongoing repression in Turkey. \u201cA half million Kurdish people have been displaced,\u201d said Borazan. \u201cMore than 5,000 politicians and activists arrested in just 2 years. Erdogan has jailed more than 150 journalists and closed over 200 media outlets. He has fired more than 5,000 academics and also shut down 2,000 academics. He also tells women how many children they should have, targeting women\u2019s rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third victim, Lucy Usoyan, who is of Yezidi origin and hails from Armenia, reminded attendees: \u201cWe all have seen what happened on May 16th. Our fundamental rights as U.S. citizens have been threatened by Turkish government. President Erdogan, himself, wanted to silence our voices, but instead he made sure that we have been heard worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hellenic American Leadership Council\u2019s Michael Maragos noted: \u201cThe Greek-American community shared everyone\u2019s shock when we watched when peaceful protesters were attacked by Turkish thugs on American soil. We were shocked but not surprised. For 100 years, Turkey has ignored the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n

The diverse group of community leaders were also joined by Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian of Soorp Khatch Armenian Church, in Bethesda, MD, as well as by a Congressional aides, including those representing the offices of Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA), Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.<\/p>\n

The ANCA streamed remarks by participants live on its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat channels and has posted videos to its YouTube page at: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLdr-wcXFvNMs2K0zwCvhQGz4b-gcaHLx4<\/a>.<\/p>\n