Germany Denies Entry to Several of Erdogan's Bodyguards

The German government announced on Monday that it will not allow several bodyguards of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who were involved in clashes with protesters in Washington last month, to enter the country. Erdogan and his delegation are set to attend the G20 summit on July 7-8 in Hamburg, and German media have recently reported that the names of several of Erdogan's bodyguards involved in the Washington incident appear on Turkey's delegation list. During Erdogan's visit to the U.S. to meet Donald Trump in late May, some of his bodyguards attacked a gathering of Erdogan's opponents in front of the Turkish ambassador's residence, resulting in several injuries. In this context, the Washington police announced on June 15 that arrest warrants had been issued for 12 security personnel and bodyguards of Erdogan for their involvement in the attack on protesters in the city. According to Reuters, Martin Schaefer, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, stated on Monday that leaders attending the G20 summit in Hamburg can bring their bodyguards, but German law must also be respected. Schaefer added regarding Erdogan's bodyguards: 'I have convincing reasons to believe that these bodyguards, who are being pursued by the U.S. judiciary, will not enter Germany in the near future, including not attending the G20 summit.' German media previously reported that Turkey had sent a list of 50 companions of Erdogan to the German Foreign Ministry for the G20 summit, and the names of some bodyguards involved in the Washington incident were included in this list. Meanwhile, the German newspaper Die Welt reported yesterday that the German Foreign Ministry warned Turkey that these bodyguards should not enter the country. German media have reported that nationalists supporting Erdogan and his Kurdish opponents may protest during the G20 summit in Hamburg, raising concerns about potential clashes during the event. Turkey had previously condemned the issuance of arrest warrants for Erdogan's bodyguards. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that what happened in front of the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington was indicative of the inability of the police forces present to take necessary actions. The Turkish Foreign Ministry asserted that Turkish citizens are not responsible for what occurred.