U.S. State Department: Hold Turkish Government Responsible for Beating Protesters

On 5/16, a group of the Turkish president's security guards attacked peaceful protesters holding a demonstration outside of the Turkish ambassador's home in Washington, D.C.

President Recep Erdogan may be able to get away with such abuses in his home country, but in America, the right to free speech is paramount. Silencing demonstrators through brutality is entirely unacceptable, and the United States should do everything it can to make sure that message is clear to both President Erdogan and the rest of the world.

While diplomatic immunity would probably spare the security guards from facing criminal charges in the U.S., we nevertheless call on Secretary Rex Tillerson to deliver consequences to the nation of Turkey in order to send a clear warning to him and his bodyguards that attacks against people exercising political speech, especially in America, is not tolerated.