Audiovisual analysis of footage recorded at the Turkish embassy on Tuesday sheds light on the verbal commands given by Turkey’s president prior to his bodyguards’ attack on a group of Kurdish protesters.
A professional sound editor named Salih Ferad conducted the analysis on behalf of The Daily Caller.
Using noise reduction and volume enhancement techniques, Ferad determined that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail shouted out the phrases “he says attack” and “come, come, come” as they charged the protesters.
The battle cries came just after Erdogan appeared to relay orders to his personal bodyguard while sitting in the back of a black Mercedes Benz outside of the embassy.
In video of that scene, recorded by Voice of America Turkish news service, Erdogan’s bodyguard stands up from the Mercedes and appears to relay a message to another man who was positioned closer to the street level action. The man then turns and rushes quickly in the direction of the protests. Shouting is heard, and Erdogan’s security staff was seen storming the protesters. (RELATED: Video Emerges Of Erdogan Watching As His Goons Attack Protesters)
Erdogan’s security detail won the street battle. Suit-clad men from the pro-Erdogan side of the fracas were recorded kicking protesters in the head and choking others. Nine people were injured, one seriously.
The incident has increased tensions between the U.S. and Turkish governments. It also comes as Erdogan is in the midst of a crackdown on dissenters at home.
Ferad analyzed the VOA Turkish video, which shows Erdogan calmly watching as the brawl unfolds yards away.
Using noise isolation techniques, Ferad says that the words “dalın diyor, servet abi dalın diyor” can be heard coming from the presidential guard just after Erdogan is seen speaking with his bodyguard.
That translates to “he says attack servet abi, he says attack.” Another translation of the phrase is “he says dive in” or “plunge in.”
“Servet” is the name of the person being addressed, and “abi” translates to the term of endearment, “older brother.”
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In a second video recorded in the middle of the brawl, Erdogan’s men are heard yelling “gel gel gel” — “come, come, come” — and “dalın diyor dalın diyor dalın diyor,” or “he says attack.”
Ferad included timestamps and captions in the videos he analyzed.
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The State Department has said it is investigating the incident and also issued a statement condemning the Turkish government “in the strongest possible terms.”
The embassy responded by claiming that Erdogan’s protection detail was acting in “self-defense” against the protesters, which the Turkish government claims were terrorists associated with PKK, a left-wing Kurdish political party.
Several lawmakers blasted Erdogan and his goons. The video of Erdogan hanging out in his Mercedes and apparently ordering the onslaught also led to widespread outrage on social media.
Arizona Sen. John McCain said in an interview on Thursday that the U.S. government should throw Turkey’s ambassador, Serdar Kilic, “the hell out of the United States of America.”
In one video recorded of Tuesday’s events, Kilic is seen confronting a Washington, D.C. police officer who was trying to break up the street fight.
“You cannot touch us,” he tells the officer, seemingly citing diplomatic immunity granted to registered diplomatic agents.
