Turkey's Erdogan says U.S. indictment of guards from Washington brawl a 'scandal'

[webfact]

Turkey's Erdogan says U.S. indictment of guards from Washington brawl a 'scandal'

 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of Victory Day at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara, Turkey August 30, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

 

ANKARA (Reuters) - A decision by U.S. authorities to arrest Turkish security guards involved in a brawl in Washington in May is a scandal, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

 

U.S. prosecutors charged a dozen Turkish security and police officers with assault after an attack on protesters in Washington during Erdogan's visit to the U.S. capital in May.

 

"This is a complete scandal. It is a scandalous sign of how justice works in the United States," he told reporters after prayers for the Muslim Eid al-Adha celebration.

 

The May 16 skirmish, caught on video, injured 11 people outside the Turkish ambassador's residence and further strained bilateral ties at a time when the NATO allies are in sharp disagreement over policy in Syria.

 

Turkey blamed the violence on demonstrators linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), while the Washington police chief described it as a brutal attack on peaceful protesters.

 

Erdogan said the United States had failed to provide him protection from members of the PKK during his visit, and added he would discuss the issue with President Donald Trump in his next visit.

 

The charges against some members of Erdogan's security detail sent 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," U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.

 

Since a failed coup attempt last year, Turkey has sacked or suspended more than 150,000 officials in purges, while sending to jail pending trial some 50,000 people including soldiers, police, civil servants.

 

The crackdown has targeted people whom authorities say they suspect of links to the network of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara blames Gulen for the coup. He denies any involvement.

 

"These developments in the United States are not good at all. The United States is still a country where the FETO gang (Gulen's network) is being protected. The United States has literally become a country where the PKK terrorist organisation is under protection," Erdogan said.

 

"I am having trouble understanding what the United States is trying to do with all these developments."

 

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Robert Birsel and John Stonestreet)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-01

[canopus1969]

The only scandal is that he is still breathing  

[darksidedog]

Extremely hypocritical to arrest tens of thousands who MIGHT have had some remote involvement in the coup attempt, but when his goons are videoed beating the crap out of people for peacefully protesting HIM, and they get arrested, he thinks it is unfair. It shows how badly downhill Turkey has gone since this evil bastard has gained power. Dissent is obviously not tolerated at home, where we could have expected to see the protesters arrested. There really is no place in the EU for Turkey while this foul despot is in charge.

[nausea]

To reverse the old saw - "shit in your own backyard Erdogan but don't shit in other people's" - I'm also thinking the EU here.

[Briggsy]

Notice how Erdogan has twisted the narrative to make the indictments a political decision rather than a straightforward decision to prosecute criminal acts. He is revealing how things work in Turkey (in case anybody had failed to notice!)

[YetAnother]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"I am having trouble understanding

[erdogan];

apparently so, getting elected means you are good at exactly 2 things; 1) getting elected and 2) lying;

it has ZERO correlation with good governance

how would you like to have this guy as your neighbor ?

[Foozool]

Mr Erdogan sees issues only "one way". 

If this is the way you treat people's voice in your country it definitely will not work in the US. 

You are just about the edge. You need to push a little more. 

[YetAnother]

guy brings hooligans to a foreign country and accuses that country of wrong-doing:: PERFECT

[Baerboxer]

Good for the US.

 

These thugs were on US soil assaulting, some viciously, people who were exercising their right to protest peacefully.

 

Erdogan is a bully who gets away with it at home. Not so in other countries buster!

[boomerangutang]

He's right in the midst of other present-day crappy leaders: Duterte, Trump, and Maduro.  When they were kids, they must have skipped Sunday School, the day 'basic human decency' was taught.

[RobFord]

To reverse the old saw - "shit in your own backyard Erdogan but don't shit in other people's" - I'm also thinking the EU here.

Someone explain to me why this turd floats in NATO.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[MarkusAUST]

2 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

He's right in the midst of other present-day crappy leaders: Duterte, Trump, and Maduro.  When they were kids, they must have skipped Sunday School, the day 'basic human decency' was taught.

All of them probably were out in the yard pulling legs off spiders or some other deviancy.

Edited September 3, 2017 by MarkusAUST

[docshock13]

This guy is very very bad news.