WASHINGTON—According to a New York Times report, U.S. law enforcement are set to charge a dozen of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail on June 15, in connection with the May 16 brutal attack on peaceful protesters in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C. Two arrests of Turkish Americans Eyup Yildirim, an owner of a construction company in New Jersey, and Sinan Narin, a Virginia resident have already been made by law enforcement. Two Canadians of Turkish origin were also charged in the incident.
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American law enforcement is doing its job,” said Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Now it’s time for the Trump Administration to demand that Turkey lift all claims to diplomatic immunity for those involved in this crime so that justice can be served.”
According to Nick Fandos of The New York Times who broke the story, “The Washington police have been investigating the May 16 incident along with the State Department and the Secret Service. The police planned to announce the charges at a news conference on Thursday morning, according to the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the charges before they were made public.”
The ANCA’s Hamparian was videotaping live at the scene of the May 16 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, 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.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Peter Newsham will be offering updates on the arrests and additional charges at a press conference, which can be viewed live via mayor.dc.gov/live at 11:45 a.m. on June 15.