Arrest Warrant Issued for 12 of Erdogan's Bodyguards in the U.S.

Reports indicate that the Washington D.C. police announced on Thursday, June 15, that an arrest warrant has been issued for 12 security personnel and bodyguards of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for allegedly attacking demonstrators in the city. According to the Associated Press, Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the charges against these individuals carry a clear message that the United States will not tolerate actions by individuals who use violence and intimidation to suppress legitimate political freedoms and freedom of expression. Tillerson emphasized that the State Department will cooperate with police and judicial authorities in this case and that additional actions may be taken. The Associated Press reports that a spokesperson for the State Department has not provided details regarding these additional actions, but it is likely that the State Department could request the extradition of these 12 individuals or prevent them from traveling to the U.S. During President Erdogan's visit to the United States for a meeting with Donald Trump in late May, several of his bodyguards attacked protesters outside the Turkish embassy. As a result of this confrontation, 11 people were injured, and the U.S. State Department expressed 'serious' concern about the incident. According to the Associated Press, the chief of police in Washington and the mayor announced on Thursday that arrest warrants have been issued for 9 security guards and 3 Turkish police officers along with two Canadians. Peter Newsham, the chief of police in Washington, has asked these individuals to present themselves to local judicial and law enforcement authorities. Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the issuance of arrest warrants for Erdogan's bodyguards, stating that these warrants lack legal validity. The statement added that what happened in front of the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington was a sign of the inability of the law enforcement present to take necessary actions. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Turkish citizens are not responsible for what occurred. The altercation between Erdogan's bodyguards and the demonstrators in Washington elicited reactions in the U.S. In this context, Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, previously stated that the United States should expel the Turkish ambassador from Washington due to this incident. McCain also called for the prosecution of the bodyguards and assailants, asserting that such an incident should not go unanswered. In this context, 'new actions to file charges' against Erdogan's bodyguards during the Washington altercation have led the U.S. House of Representatives to call for legal action against them, while Turkey summoned the U.S. ambassador in Ankara to express concern about the 'attack' by Erdogan's bodyguards on protesters in Washington.