Court indicts 15 Turkish guards for assaulting Kurdish protesters in Washington

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A US court on Tuesday indicted 19 people, including 15 Turkish guards, for assaulting protesters in Washington earlier this year.

During a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Washington in May, a melee broke out in front of the Turkish ambassador’s residence between the former's bodyguards and protesters.

Footage of Erdogan’s bodyguards attacking peaceful demonstrators and police officers went viral soon after the Turkish President met with his US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House.

Eleven people, Kurdish and Armenian protesters, were injured during the altercation.

At the time, US officials strongly condemned the attack while Ankara argued the guards had diplomatic immunity.

Tuesday’s decision brings the total number of people indicted for the May 16 assault to 19—15 of whom are Turkish security guards.

“All 19 defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, with a bias crime enhancement,” the District of Columbia Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

“The members and associates of the conspiracy used threats and physical violence – intensely kicking at protesters – to dispel the anti-Erdogan protesters,” the 20-page indictment read.

The accused face up to 15 years in prison, according to Reuters.

Turkey defended the guards’ actions, claiming they intervened because police were unable to stop protesters linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from approaching Erdogan.

The PKK has been waging a decades-long war against the Turkish government for broader Kurdish rights.

However, the court confirmed the protesters involved in May’s incident were peaceful demonstrators who “supported Kurdish independence.”

Sixteen of the 19 people indicted had already been charged on June 13 while the three new defendants were Turkish security officials.

Editing by G.H. Renaud