Turkey says US indictment against security personnel is biased

Ankara says the US failed to provide adequate security, after Turkish security guards indicted for brawl during President Erdogan's US visit.

A pro-Turkey demonstrator outside the White House during the visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Washington DC.
AFP file

A pro-Turkey demonstrator outside the White House during the visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Washington DC.

Turkey has complained to the United States over the indictment of its security guards involved in a brawl during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington in May this year.

On Tuesday, a grand jury indicted 19 people, including 15 security officials, over the brawl between protesters and Erdogan's security detail outside the Turkish ambassador's residence.

"We are protesting in the strongest terms that a biased indictment is accepted. Our reaction to the topic has also been conveyed to the US ambassador to Ankara," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Turkey blames US authorities, protesters for brawl

Eleven people were hurt in the melee which Ankara said was the fault of US authorities for failing to provide adequate security.

Ankara in June summoned the American ambassador over the May 16 incident and told Washington that the decision to issue arrest warrants was wrong, unacceptable, biased and lacking any legal basis.

The Turkish foreign ministry said the brawl was caused by the failure of local security to take necessary measures, and that the incident would not have occurred if US authorities had taken the usual measures they take in similar high-level visits. As a result, Ankara said Turkish citizens cannot be held responsible for the incident that took place.

Ankara also slammed the decision of the US authorities to allow pro-PKK protesters to rally close to the Turkish ambassador's residence since Ankara and Washington both recognise the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

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