A new video has emerged showing that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan witnessed his bodyguards attack protestors outside of the Turkish Embassy in DC on Tuesday. Erdogan, wearing a red tie, emerges from the car at the 1:13 mark:
A new video has emerged showing that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan witnessed his bodyguards attack protestors outside of the Turkish Embassy in DC on Tuesday. Erdogan, wearing a red tie, emerges from the car at the 1:13 mark:
And the Turkish Embassy released a statement today, blaming the incident on Kurdish groups and absolving itself of any blame:
"Groups affiliated with the PKK, which the U.S. and Turkey have designated as a terrorist organization, gathered yesterday without permit in Sheridan Circle in the immediate vicinity of the Ambassador's Residence, while the President of Turkey was visiting the Residence. The demonstrators began aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the President. The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense and one of them was seriously injured. The violence and injuries were the result of this unpermitted, provocative demonstration. We hope that, in the future, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that similar provocative actions causing harm and violence do not occur."