Turkey’s presidential guards reported involved in violent clash with protesters outside ambassador’s residence

D.C. police announced they are pursuing charges against additional suspects involved in Tuesday’s violent clash between demonstrators and guards for visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Two people with direct knowledge of the investigation said authorities are reviewing video to try to identify Erdogan guards who they believe instigated the melee outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence. Nine people were injured; two arrests already have been made.

During a Wednesday press conference, police did not directly identify the guards as suspects, but said they are working with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Secret Service to identify people involved in the altercation.

D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said the violence was “not something we tolerate in our city.” He said several of the Erdogan guards were armed with guns, making the incident especially “dicey” for D.C. officers trying to quell the violence.

If charges are pursued againt any Erdogan guards, District officials might have to work through throny issues such as diplomatic immunity or special statuses afforded to those who guard visiting heads of state.

n Wednesday, a Turkish state news agency acknowledged that guards for Erdogan, who had earlier met with President Trump at the White House, had intervened with the demonstrators at Sheridan Circle on Massachusetts Avenue. The Turkish news agency blamed the incident on an “inadequate” response by local police.

Turkey’s semiofficial Anadolu news agency and similar accounts by pro-government outlets confirmed what many on social media had speculated after seeing videos of men in dark suits and ties — some holding Turkish flags — going after demonstrators described by police as peaceful.

“What we saw yesterday — a violent attack on a peaceful demonstration — is an affront to DC values and our rights as Americans,” she said in a statement. “I strongly condemn these actions and have been briefed by Chief Newsham on our response. The Metropolitan Police Department will continue investigating the incident and will work with federal partners to ensure justice is served.”

It could not immediately be determined whether either of the two people already arrested were members of the presidential guard, but officials said both are American. One was charged with aggravated assault, the other with assault on a police officer. They are set to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

Some of the estimated two dozen protesters were angry at Erdogan’s crackdown on dissent and hardening of power. Others were Kurdish activists, including supporters of a pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey whose leaders have been prosecuted by the Turkish government.

Video of the incident shows protestersbeing attacked in what appeared to be three waves as D.C. police officers struggled to regain control. The Anadolu news agency framed the guards’ actionsas a response to the presence of “terrorist” sympathizers — apparently a reference to Kurdish activists.

The news agency criticized U.S. police for failing to end the dissent; such protests arelargely put down in Turkey.

In one incident, a man in a dark suit carrying a furled flag was seen kicking a demonstrator on a sidewalk, as the victim held his hands protectively to his head. A bull horn was next to him.

The Turkish news agency criticized U.S. police for failing to end the dissent before the clash; such protests arelargely put down in Turkey.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Secret Service, which handles security at embassies, referred questions to the U.S. State Department. No one answered the phone at the Turkish Embassy.

Last year, Erdogan’s guards and protesters clashed outside the Brookings Institution in the District during a Nuclear Security Summit, and D.C. police and U.S. Secret Service officers were forced to intervene.Tuesday’s melee highlighted the political divisions and conflicts that in some cases have roiled Turkey for decades and that have become far more acrimonious and violent of late. After Erdogan’s government survived a coup attempt last summer,authorities have pursued a wide-ranging crackdown on enemies and dissidents. Nearly 200,000 people have been arrested or dismissed or suspended from their jobs.