GOP senators demand Turkey apologize for DC brawlMay 18, 2017 - 11:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Tom Cotton (Ark.) and Mike Lee (Utah) are demanding that Turkey apologize for a recent attack on protesters in Washington, D.C, The Hill reveals. “We strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday (Tuesday, May 16 - Ed.) outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington,” the senators said in a statement Wednesday. “Reports indicate that some Turkish officials were involved in assaulting protesters, which violates the most basic rules of democracy and is an affront to the United States and the value we place on the right to free speech, as embodied in our Constitution. We call upon the Turkish government to apologize immediately for the involvement of any officials.” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday also pressed Turkey to apologize. “The Turkish government owes an apology,” he tweeted. “Perhaps they forgot we have unalienable rights in this country.” And House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the administration should examine charges for those responsible. Metropolitan Chief of Police Peter Newsham on Wednesday called attacks on protesters at the Turkish ambassador’s residence the day before in Washington “brutal.” Newsham confirmed that 11 people and one police officer were injured in Tuesday’s commotion, with nine receiving treatment at local hospitals. He added that authorities had arrested a New York man and charged him with aggravated assault, while a Fairfax, Va., man was arrested and charged with assault on a police officer. NBC News reported earlier Wednesday that the men who beat up demonstrators on Tuesday were bodyguards of visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was returning from speaking with President Trump at the White House when the violence broke out. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |