US ambassador to Turkey John Bass

ANCA Calls Out Ankara’s Arrogance

ANKARA—Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the United States Ambassador to Turkey John Bass after DC officials said that arrest warrants have been issued for 14 Turkish citizens, among them members of the Turkish president’s security detail who were involved in the brutal beating of protesters on May 16 during a protest in Washington.

Below is the entire statement published on Turkey’s Foreign Ministry site.

The Ambassador of the United States of America in Ankara has been invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Ambassador Ümit Yalçın, upon learning that the US authorities have issued arrest warrants for some Turkish citizens and some of the security personnel of our President, due to the incident that took place in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C. on May 16th.

It has been conveyed to the Ambassador that this decision taken by US authorities is wrong, biased and lacks legal basis; that the brawl in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s Residence was caused by the failure of local security authorities to take necessary measures; that this incident would not have occurred if the US authorities had taken the usual measures they take in similar high level visits and therefore that Turkish citizens cannot be held responsible for the incident that took place.

The Ambassador of the United States of America in Ankara has also been informed that the tolerance of the US authorities towards the so-called protesters to approach as close as a few meters to the Turkish Residence with flags and symbols of terrorist organization and their assault to innocent citizens, as well as the lack of any action taken against the US security personnel who assaulted the security guards of our Minister in front of the Chancery run counter to any understanding of justice.

It has been emphasized that the decision, which clearly was not taken as a result of an impartial and independent investigation, is unacceptable.

The Armenian National Committee of America called out Ankara’s arrogance on this matter.

“Drawing on the same playbook Ankara has used in Washington since the time of the Armenian Genocide, he is – against all evidence – blaming the victim and trying to bully everyone else into silence,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“This time, in a fit of unprecedented anger and arrogance, Erdogan’s openly insulting U.S. law enforcement and unapologetically assuming for himself the right to deny Americans our inalienable rights and Constitutional freedoms,’ added Hamparian.

‘Having intimidated U.S. leaders into silence on the Armenian Genocide, basically enforcing a foreign gag-rule on what we can say about our own American history, he’s now targeting our values, telling us when we can and cannot speak out as U.S. citizens,” said Hamparian.