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THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is facing growing calls for a forceful response to violence on American soil by Turkish presidential guards who were briefly detained this week but then set free.
The incident is adding to US-Turkish tensions compounded by a spat over US war strategy against the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.
The United States said it summoned Turkey’s ambassador to the State Department, where the number two ranked US diplomat raised concerns about the security detail for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Washington, after the guards were recorded on video violently breaking up a protest.
Erdogan watched the melee unfold from the backseat of his vehicle, before exiting the vehicle and looking toward the chaos.
US lawmakers demanded stronger action. Republican Senator John McCain said the government should “throw their ambassador the hell out” of the US.
The calls came as the Trump administration acknowledged it had released two members of Erdogan’s detail after holding them briefly after the incident, which took place on Tuesday outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in the US capital.
Even as officials vowed there would be an investigation, the guards were already safely back in Turkey with Erdogan, dampening any prospects for holding them accountable.
Local police and lawmakers initially speculated that diplomatic immunity prevented the US from holding the men. A US official said that wasn’t the case.
Instead, Erdogan’s guards were released under a globally recognised custom under which nations don’t arrest or detain visiting heads of state and members of their delegations, said the official, who wasn’t authorised to comment publicly on the matter and requested anonymity.
Not the first time
The guards’ release left the US struggling to point to anything that amounts to accountability. It also fuelled the perception the US allows Turkey’s leader to bring strongman tactics with him when he visits the US. Last year, Turkish security officials manhandled several journalists at a Washington DC think tank where Erdogan was set to speak.
“There must be consequences,” Representative Steny Hoyer, the number two Democrat in the House, said yesterday.
The State Department called the latest incident “deeply disturbing”, insisting there would be a “thorough investigation that will allow us to hold the responsible individuals accountable is of the utmost importance to us.”
The fracas erupted as Erdogan arrived at the ambassador’s residence following a meeting with President Donald Trump. Videos show people pushing past police to confront a small group of protesters across the street.
Attacking with their fists and feet, men in dark suits and others are seen repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled on a footpath. Another person wrenches a woman’s neck and throws her to the ground. A man with a bullhorn is repeatedly kicked in the face. In all, nine people were hurt.
“This isn’t Turkey. This isn’t a third-world country,” McCain said on MSNBC.
Turkey’s embassy blamed the violence on demonstrators, saying they aggressively provoked Turkish-American citizens gathered to see Erdogan. The embassy alleged, without evidence, that the demonstrators were associated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade-long insurgency against Turkey and is considered a terrorist group by the US.
Tensions over Syria
The violent capstone to Erdogan’s visit spoke to the high tensions between the US and Turkey, NATO allies that have increasingly sparred over US strategy toward defeating IS militants in Syria.
To Turkey’s dismay, Trump has decided to arm Syrian Kurdish militants in the impending fight to retake the key city of Raqqa. Washington considers the Syrian Kurds an effective force against IS. Turkey sees them as a PKK extension and an existential threat to Turkish sovereignty.
In its protest against the decision, Turkey’s foreign minister yesterday demanded that Trump dismiss his envoy in charge of the anti-IS coalition, Brett McGurk.
And Erdogan, speaking in Istanbul two days after meeting Trump, put Washington on notice that his forces won’t hesitate to attack US-backed Kurds if they threaten Turkey.
“We are already telling you in advance: Our rules of engagement give us this authority,” Erdogan said. “We will take such a step and we won’t discuss it or consult with anyone.”
The Trump administration rushed to McGurk’s defense.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said McGurk has “the full support and backing” of Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Still, Nauert sought to acknowledge Turkey’s misgivings about terrorism by the PKK and other groups.
“We respect those concerns, and continue regular consultations with our NATO ally on this and other topics of mutual importance,” Nauert said.
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Can we please lock criminals up in prison.
I’d guess These two sub humans have about 80 convictions between them.
Justice system broken, politicians broke it and we do nothing about it!
Between them??? 80 each at least.
Can we please lock them up and send them to reprogramming?
Two weeks ago two thugs mugged and beat up a man of 70 with chronic arthritis and has Cancer to. A person passed by as he pleaded for help and he walked and ignored him.
They left him with fractured pelvis and a broken back.He is now in a back brace under going chemo on top of it.
Lucky i wasnt driving past or they would have got worse.
The entire justice system is rotten to the core
and a gang rule and regulate to suit themselves
They need to bring back making young lads sit through snow white and bambi etc.. give them some morals and empathy. Seems to be the law is on the their side.
We need answers to prevent these people from having such a lack of morals and empathy and social skills or guilt inside them.
When you can’t fell safe in your own home from thugs, then the Justice system has failed.
Sentences should be doubled when children and older people are the victims…cowards!
Wouldn’t matter. The DPP would rather prosecute for a lesser crime than the actual crime to keep the rate of successful convictions up. Then they get to prosecute them all over again a few weeks/months later for another lesser-than-actual-crime.
When you think about it, criminals are the clients of solicitors. Wouldn’t pay to find a way to put them out of action. People go on about the cost of keeping people in prison, but what about the legal costs of continually prosecuting?
The out of touch judges need to hand out serious sentences for burglary. Ten years minimum. I don’t care if the prisons are full, stack them high, ten to a two bed cell. Don’t like it? Do try and do your best to avoid jail then by not being a kont.
A Shotgun folks,
They would get the first two shots and the third would be a warning shot in the ceiling…
No judge would convict …
The sooner they take the Court Loyalty Card of Criminals the better.
Dermot
A shotgun makes too much a mess of the woodwork and plaster. Even worse are the bloodstains as the burglar bleed out.
A shotgun is not appropriate at all!
It’s time for Alan Shatter and Co. Get real and tackle the crime and terror these so called are humans are causing people in this country.He
not even the Country at this time
@john w
Are you joking shatter is an incompetent fool,his only interest is dishing out Irish passports,70,000 now in 3 yrs ,the real issues are being ignore by the idiot.
John
Are you for real in trying to blame the Minister for Justice for this burglary because he is out of the country. Did you ever have an IQ test?
Straight talker
I have rarely seen anybody talk in such an indirect and inaccurate fashion in my life. Are you telling us that the only matter of concern to the Department of Justice is the issuing of Passports and Citizenship to those who are legally entitled. I understand that the Minister is the most productive of the entire Cabinet in terms of workload output and legislation. But , hey who am I to challenge someone who is too cowardly to use their own name as they play the Sinn Fein card day after day after day. It’s just the same with the manner in which they use the ballot box.
Why didn’t you comment on the rest of his statement Ritchie? Shatter is a joke and we all know it but you’ll defend him to the hilt. I just hope this type of shite doesn’t land on your door step.
Should be minimum 10 year prison sentence for breaking into someone’s home and 20 years minimum for assaulting someone in their own home and if it goes as far as murder it should be life without parole criminals get off too easily if they were punished much more severely there would be less crimes like this the justice system in this country is an absolute joke it’s time we stopped protecting criminals and started protecting the victims of crime people breaking into homes to rob them and assaulting people in their own homes when they break in are low life sc*mbags we need longer prison sentences for these vile pigs
It’s time we got an EU prison on some deserted island ( Alcatraz style ) where such thugs could serve their sentences digging holes or whatever. Microchipping them with GPS location, that’s monitored, could be another option if our prison system is just not up to it.
Break – in is terrible & it will take a long time to recover from the shock. My sister installed a new steel gate for back door recently & I laughed it off. How wrong was I & I plan to do the same sometime. Crime in Ireland is out of control in Ireland & Shatter is the worst minister Ireland has ever had!
Michael Connolly
best suggestion….i totally agree
People don’t feel safe in their houses anymore. Regardless if that is a flat, small house or large Mansion. Life is Cheap now in Dublin and I believe we have become desensitized to the point where people being shot in estates and in gang fueds doesnt make headlines anymore. Its a ‘normal’ occurence, part of life. It is only a matter of time before somebody gets shot/killed in crossfire during one of these hits.
Another part of life that the elderly/people in general used to take as stressfree is the light rail system. The green Luas is now a very unpleasant place to travel [off peak hours] I have experienced the staff being threatened with Racial taunts, abusive behaviour is the norm. The men in black run after the offenders [usually too young to be prosecuted] to where they live in Windy Arbour [surely within earshot of parents] only to be shouted at and called ‘child abusers and have to retreat. The guards of law and order are now terrified of Feral kids. ~ Alan Shatter is not afraid of the next election because he will float off into the Sunset with a lovely pension just like the Bankers did , just like Joan burton will. Yes, Zero Tolerance is badly needed. First thing we need to do is lose the ‘deprived’ Card.
Anyone found trespassing should get the Cat of nine tails and actual burglary they should be flogged. Now look at your Stats one year later Minister !!
And kilmainham Garda station opp it.. That’s terrible…
I don’t need a iq. Test to to know the whole justice system is falling apart and Minister Shatter in or out of the country is a joke
Justice system isnt only thing failing, the whole social scale in country is falling apart. It starts somewhere and it has to be at the beginning. They dont wake up one day and think i will be a criminal. Find the problem at the beginning. Prevention for future is needed and ofc course proper prison time or re programming as i believe they need for those who are a threat to our loved ones now.
Well said and I totally agree with you Karen
Absolutely agree Karen. The Government it seems is to be blamed for everything, but somewhere along the line these people have to take personal responsibility. If these kids are too young to be prosecuted then their parents should be held responsible and prosecuted. Local councils have a role to play too where anti social behaviour is concerned. When faced with the threat of eviction maybe some of these thugs and their families might think twice about their actions. Too many of these kids come from families where this behaviour is repeated generation after generation. If we are ever going to break the cycle then its time for the local authorities and the guards to join forces and put a stop to it.
I was not too far from where I live today. Described recently by your paper as ‘the Leafy environs of South County Dublin.’ lol there has been extreme anti-social behaviour and 3 ‘Men in Black’ [if you get green or red Luas you will know that these act as a deterrant, are mostly polish and body builder types dressed in Black. they chased the little gurriers down to their own houses and were shouted at, abused, called ‘Child abusers’ etc., the parents would have been in earshot. Then the Ticket men who are also security to a degree came along and were too, subejected to verbal abuse. ~ There was a threat of the cops being called but as per usual, the Luas staff had to retreat. These Feral kids got away with it. Nobody cares, and these men hadnt got the legal go ahead to restrain as they were underage. What a joke this country is. The Luas Green Line is not always a pleasant journey. There are 2 stops in particular Windy Arbour and Balally [near Sandyford Road and beside Dundrum Centre. Crime is out of control and no, I dont feel safe and there are alot of burglaries around this area.
Reopen kilmainham as a functioning jail create jobs and lock up this sc#m
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