Two arrested in wake of melee outside Turkish Embassy: report

Two Turkish men living in the United States have reportedly been arrested by U.S. marshals for their alleged role in assaulting protesters outside the Turkish Embassy last month in Washington, D.C.

In a Wednesday statement, the State Department confirmed to the Daily Caller that the arrests had been made but wouldn’t release the names of the two men.

“Now that charges have been filed, the Department will weigh additional actions for the named individuals, as appropriate under relevant laws and regulations. Any further steps will be responsive and proportional to the charges,” State said.

{mosads}In May, bodyguards to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan violently clashed with protesters to his administration while Erdogan, who had just come from visiting President Trump at the White House, looked on.

Lawmakers responded with outrage at the time, saying that political violence wouldn’t be tolerated on U.S. soil.

“President Erdogan, you would do well to remember that this country is built on free speech, free religion, free press, & freedom to protest,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) tweeted in May.

Nine protesters were hospitalized as a result of the brawl.

The Turkish Embassy claimed that Erdogan’s bodyguards were acting in “self-defense” during the incident and said the protesters were affiliated with the terrorist group PKK. A protest leader denied that anyone involved had any ties or sympathies to the PKK, and video showed Erdogan’s supporters willingly jumping into the fray.