Two Men Arrested in Connection With Turkish Embassy Brawl
Sinan Narin of Virginia and Eyup Yildirim of New Jersey have been arrested in connection with a May 17 attack against peaceful protesters outside of the Turkish Embassy in Washington.
D.C. Metro police told Foreign Policy that Narin is charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor assault or threatened assault in a menacing manner. Yildirim is accused of felony assault with significant bodily injury, felony aggravated assault, and misdemeanor assault or threatened assault in a menacing manner.
According to the Washington Hatti, a Turkish news site based in D.C., Yildirim is the owner of a construction company in New Jersey. The publication also identified him as one of the more visible figures seen in recorded footage of the scuffle.
At least 11 people were hurt in the ruckus, which involved Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bodyguards charging toward protesters and then kicking, stomping, and punching those gathered. Erdogan, who was returning from a meeting with President Donald Trump, watched the attack from the back of his vehicle outside the Turkish Embassy.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill condemning the Turkish government over the brawl. The U.S. ambassador in Ankara was summoned to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs over what it called “aggressive and unprofessional actions” by U.S. law enforcement personnel against Turkish bodyguards in Washington.
The Turkish Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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