May 23, 2017

The Honorable Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State
United States Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Tillerson:

As you know, on Tuesday, May 16, shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan visited the White House, armed Turkish security personnel brutally
attacked Americans who were peacefully protesting against Erdogan. After breaking
through police lines set up by the outnumbered officers of Washington DCs
Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Secret Service, the Turkish
Presidential Protection Department (TPPD) security forces violently beat women
and elderly men to the ground and repeatedly kicked people in the head. At least 11
people were injured, including a police officer, and nine of them required
hospitalization. All of these outrages occurred in our nations capital, in full view of
President Erdogan and apparently with his personal approval, shortly after he met
with the President of the United States.

This violent assault targeting peaceful, law-abiding Americans was a grotesque

affront to American values by the thuggish agents of an autocratic Turkish regime.
Such criminal conduct would be entirely intolerable under any circumstances, but
especially in a democratic society such as ours. The fact that it actually involved the
Turkish Presidents own security personnel clearly demonstrates that the Turkish
regime and its diplomatic missions hold American laws and constitutional principles
in deep disdain.

This attack in Washington was shocking to the people of our country, but it should
be no surprise. In Turkey, Erdogan has arrested 50,000 people since July 2016.
Violence of the kind we witnessed on May 16 is quite commonplace in Turkey as a
vehicle to silence dissent.

After such a despicable episode, the United States should have received a profound
apology from its ally, along with assurances that those responsible would be held
accountable. Instead, the Erdogan regime had the temerity to further insult our
country by summoning Ambassador Bass for a scolding, referring to the courageous
actions of U.S. law enforcement personnel as unprofessional and aggressive, and
blaming the victims for exercising their constitutional rights.
 Responding to Turkeys Attack on Americans
May 22, 2017
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Simply stated, the United States must take strong, unambiguous and meaningful
action against the Erdogan regime in response to this outrage. This action should
include, at minimum, the following: (i) summoning the Turkish ambassador to
provide a full accounting of the circumstances of the event, and demanding a formal
apology from the ambassador and President Erdogan; (ii) identification and
prosecution of all of the perpetrators of the criminal assault; (iii) finding that all
foreign nationals determined to be responsible, either directly or indirectly, be
declared persona non grata, immediately removed from the United States and
permanently refused reentry; (iv) suspending all training of TPPD agents and other
Turkish protection officials by all U.S. federal agencies; and (v) re-evaluating
Turkeys status as an ally of the United States, including a significant reduction in, or
suspension of, the amount of foreign and military aid to Turkey.

Very truly yours,

PAUL KREKORIAN
LA City Councilmember, Second District