Nine people were injured and two arrested during a violent altercation at the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington DC, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the US capital. Witnesses reported that Erdogan's security detail attacked protesters who were carrying flags of the Kurdish PYD party outside the residence.
Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck confirmed the altercation broke out between two groups but did not provide further details. One arrest was made for assaulting a police officer. The incident occurred while Erdogan was inside the building, according to a local NBC affiliate.
Yazidi Kurd demonstrator Lucy Usoyan told ABC she was attacked by a pro-Erdogan supporter. 'All of the sudden they just ran towards us. Someone was beating me in the head nonstop,' she said.
The clash came on the same day Erdogan met US President Donald Trump at the White House. During their meeting, both leaders sought to strengthen strained ties despite disagreements over US support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. Erdogan condemned Washington's arming of the Kurdish YPG militia, calling it 'absolutely unacceptable.'
The State Department declined to comment on the altercation. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between the NATO allies over Turkey's concerns about Kurdish separatism and US foreign policy in the region.
