Turkey Summons US Ambassador in Ankara

Turkey summoned the US ambassador in Ankara in protest against what it called the 'violent and unprofessional behavior' of American security forces and police towards the protective detail of the Turkish president. This summoning of the US ambassador comes after Turkish security personnel in Washington, the US capital, attacked a peaceful gathering of several opponents of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, severely injuring several protesters. According to the Associated Press, John Bass, the US ambassador in Ankara, emphasized at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the behavior of Turkish security personnel in Washington was contrary to US regulations regarding the protection of the right to protest and peaceful assembly. Last week, the US summoned the Turkish ambassador in Washington and conveyed its protest regarding the attack by the Turkish president's security personnel on protesters on US soil. A spokesperson for the US State Department also stated that the US had 'expressed its concerns in the most serious manner possible to the Turkish government.' Images from the incident shared on social media show that US security forces and police were trying to protect Turkish protesters from attacks by Turkish security personnel, but several protesters, including some women, were severely injured by Erdoğan's guards. Another video shows Mr. Erdoğan himself witnessing the clashes at moments. Following this incident, two of the Turkish president's guards were detained but were later released and returned to Turkey. In another development in Turkey, the police announced that they were searching for 144 individuals suspected of connections to the Fethullah Gülen network. The Turkish police identified these individuals as being from the police force, military, and judiciary. Reuters reported that at least 20 people have been arrested in the latest round of detentions in Turkey. Erdoğan's government accuses Mr. Gülen, who resides in the US, of orchestrating last year's failed coup in Turkey. Gülen has denied this claim, stating that the coup was fabricated by the Turkish government to use as a pretext to suppress its opponents and critics.