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    Categories: 2017

Costa Statement on Turkish Security Guards’ Violence Towards Demonstrators

Congressional Documents and Publications
May 18, 2017


Costa Statement on Turkish Security Guards' Violence Towards Demonstrators

Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) News Release



WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16) released the following
statement regarding members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's security force attacking demonstrators outside of the
Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington, DC:

"Given Turkey's movement towards an authoritarian government,
President Erdogan's visit with the President in the West Wing is
unsettling. President Erdogan's recent elimination of individual
freedoms and jailing members of the press should not be rewarded by a
visit to the Oval Office.

"To add injury to insult, it appears that a contingent of President
Erdogan's security team unilaterally took violent action against
peaceful demonstrators who were raising awareness of Turkey's
violations of human rights. The Turkish security guards clearly
attacked the Armenian, Kurdish, Yezidi, and other human rights
demonstrators, sending nine to the hospital.

"Sadly, it appears that history may be repeating itself. Many of us in
recent weeks have seen the movie "The Promise," which is an accurate
historical portrayal of the Armenian genocide that took place
beginning in 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. In the movie, we
witnessed the beginnings of these acts of atrocity with the depiction
of young, Turkish men beating innocent people. As we know, modern-day
Turkey has been unwilling as a country to acknowledge the genocide
ever happened. We cannot allow Tuesday's violent and illegal behavior
by the Turkish security guards to go unaddressed.

"The actions of the Turkish security guards are outrageous, and I
condemn them. They violate both American law and deeply-held American
values. The Turkish security guards must be held accountable.

"Our American President should take appropriate diplomatic and legal
action against these Turkish thugs for their violence towards the
Armenian, Kurdish, Yezidi, and other human rights demonstrators. If he
does so, I believe he will find overwhelming bipartisan support in the
US Congress."

Read this original document at:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__costa.house.gov_media-2Dcenter_press-2Dreleases_costa-2Dstatement-2Dturkish-2Dsecurity-2Dguards-2Dviolence-2Dtowards-2Ddemonstrators&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=AP_B8WTxASz9YGQzMb12zyWMhrL_BAq1prz7iHOa_5E&s=Sh4V9yY5AffK8ggwbf4u1eXjQ_xwLMuLVQeLXhCroqI&e=
 

Alex Nanijanian:
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