Voice of America News
Victim of Turkish DC Embassy Brawl Set to Sue Over Injuries
by Arman Tarjimanyan
Victim of Turkish Embassy Brawl: White House Inaction Sign of ‘Weakness’
WASHINGTON –
A demonstrator involved in the last week’s violent clash with guards
of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells VOA a lawsuit will be
filed over injuries sustained during the May 16 melee outside the
Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington.
Armenia-born Lucy Usoyan, an ethnic-Yazidi who became a U.S. citizen
after moving here with family at age 3, sustained a traumatic brain
injury during last week’s brawl. In footage recorded by VOA Turkish
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_amerikaninsesi_videos_10158768770105442_&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=YIwdLYf2KsPtdN4yGKqO_y_534xIvuN84btQGQoyJlI&s=VEd4vtfnpBlgFdnGTchX00BdMvf-mE53r9oelxv5tcg&e=
),
Usoyan, who is wearing red pants, can be seen lying unconscious on the
ground near at the 25-second mark.
"Many law offices have reached to us. Big law offices that have sued
different governments," she told VOA’s Armenia Service on Tuesday. "We
will also have a lobbying office to represent this case, because we
believe no government – not only Turkey – no government has the right
to come to this country and beat up U.S. citizens and get away with
it."
A day after the brawl, VOA posted additional footage
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_VOATurkish_status_865277723236814849&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=YIwdLYf2KsPtdN4yGKqO_y_534xIvuN84btQGQoyJlI&s=c-ruwj7sqNFFcaj5a2IxM2JEhJ2vOuXxn07OgNottwM&e=
) of moments
leading up to the fight, during which President Erdogan – arriving at
the residence after White House meetings – is seen talking with
members of his armed security detail just before they break through a
police line and violently charge the protesters. Moments later,
Erdogan is seen looking on as the attack unfolds.
Strained relations
Turkish supporters claim they were provoked by protesters whom, they
allege, support the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), which Erdogan’s
government considers a terrorist group for its links to the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK, with affiliates based in Turkey and
Iraq, has been labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. and
European Union.
Ties between Washington and Ankara have been strained in recent years
by American airpower support for YPG fighters battling Islamic State
militants in northern Syria.
American lawmakers swiftly issued bipartisan outcry
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.voanews.com_a_3861496.html&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=YIwdLYf2KsPtdN4yGKqO_y_534xIvuN84btQGQoyJlI&s=bsXn1ma00zALGksy0DXbaqu86VcbTfqokxMP9-Tn64Q&e=
) over the melee, which was
followed by repeated expressions of concern
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.voanews.com_a_3865135.html&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=YIwdLYf2KsPtdN4yGKqO_y_534xIvuN84btQGQoyJlI&s=o0gAEAaIuaXKcsjVDD_GWE2_pAo9sy2cbm4ObGW9a8k&e=
) by top State Department
officials, who summoned Turkey’s ambassador over the incident.
‘Ongoing investigation’
"There is an ongoing investigation," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
told Fox News Sunday, adding that he will wait on the outcome of that
probe before deciding on a more formal response.
Globally, however, Usoyan says the absence of a formal White House
response makes the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump look
weak.
"In this case, the video went viral around the world," Usoyan said. "I
was talking to my family and relatives last night, and everyone takes
this as a (sign of the) weakness of our current government. I do
believe President Trump should shed a spotlight to this case and
address this issue so it doesn’t spotlight him as weak towards
Turkey."
FILE – President Donald Trump meets with Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington,
May 16, 2017.
Police behavior questioned
On Monday, Turkey summoned the U.S. ambassador to Ankara to protest
what it called the "aggressive" treatment of Turkish security, calling
behavior of Washington Metropolitan police officers who attempted to
break up the fight – sometimes with batons – "aggressive and
unprofessional."
The Trump administration has vowed to arm YPG fighters as part of a
campaign to take Islamic State’s Syrian stronghold in Raqqa.
Erdogan and Trump are expected to meet again at this week’s NATO
summit in Brussels.
This report originated in VOA’s Armenian Service
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.amerikayidzayn.com_&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=YIwdLYf2KsPtdN4yGKqO_y_534xIvuN84btQGQoyJlI&s=moZe-2NKiF7RtPi3OIfTuG9tfMQv2Egu8mt5sFKXEkA&e=
).