U.S. Marshals have arrested two Turkish men living in U.S. for their role in beating peaceful protesters outside of the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. last month, a source with knowledge of the matter tells The Daily Caller.
The State Department confirmed in a statement to TheDC that arrests have been, and the Washington, D.C. Metro police department identified the two men as Eyup Yildirim and Sinan Narin.
“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,” a State Department official said.
Yildirim, a 50-year-old construction company owner from New Jersey, faces charges of assault with significant bodily injury and aggravated assault. Narin, from Virginia, faces an aggravated assault charge.
The Washington-based Turkish news website Washington Hatti first reported on Wednesday that Yildirim was one of the men arrested.
TheDC first reported last month that Yildirim is the man seen in videos of the brawl kicking a female protester while she was on the ground. (RELATED: Meet The Erdogan Goon Who Kicked Female Protester Outside Turkish Embassy)
Halil Mutlu, cousin of Recep Erdogan, and Eyup Yildirim (right). (Youtube screen grab)
Lucy Usoyan, the woman kicked and stomped by Yildirim, Narin and other Erdogan supporters, told TheDC that she went to the hospital where she was diagnosed with head trauma.
Narin, who was first identified by The New York Times last month, acknowledged to the newspaper that he kicked Usoyan. But he claimed that he thought that Usoyan was a man.
Usoyan, a Kurdish activist, said that she feared for her life during the assault. She also said that her doctor told her she would need six weeks to fully recover from the beating.
Yildirim and Narin were part of a group of supporters of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who showed up at the Turkish embassy. Video of the incident shows a large group of Erdogan supporters and bodyguards suddenly crossing the street in front of the embassy to where the smaller group of protesters were staged. The Erdogan henchmen, some of them armed, were then seen punching, kicking and stomping the protesters.
At least 11 were injured.
Erdogan watched the attack unfold from his black Mercedes-Benz, which was parked outside of the embassy. Video recordings show that he may even have ordered his bodyguards and supporters like Yildirim to launch the assault on the protesters.
An audio analysis of recordings of the blitz also revealed that voices can be heard shouting phrases like “Servet says dive in,” or “Servet says attack.”
TheDC also identified Servet Erkan as one of the Erdogan bodyguards who took part in the violence. Another member of Erdogan’s security detail who was seen choking a female protester was identified as Ismail Dalkiran. (RELATED: Audio Analysis Shows Erdogan Thugs Were Ordered To Attack)
Eyup Yildirim (left) kicking Kurdish protester outside Turkish embassy, May 16, 2017. (Youtube screen grab)
The embassy melee has generated outrage from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, while the Turkish government has blamed the U.S. government and Washington, D.C. police department for failing to corral the protesters. (RELATED: Here’s The Erdogan Henchman Who Choked Female Protester At Embassy)
Last week, the House unanimously passed a bill condemning the Turkish government over the incident.
Despite the arrest of Yildirim and another Erdogan goon, some of the men involved in the attack likely will not be arrested or punished.
Erdogan’s personal bodyguards and the embassy’s security detail are likely protected by diplomatic immunity from prosecution.
The U.S. government could punish the Turks in another way, including through diplomatic channels. At least two lawmakers have called on the U.S. State Department to halt the planned sale of $1.6 million worth of firearms to the Turkish security detail.
“The Department would like to thank the Department of Justice and the investigative agencies for their diligence,” the State Department said in its statement to TheDC.
“We are committed to holding those responsible for the violence on May 16 accountable. As we have previously stated, the events surrounding the conduct of Turkish Security personnel during President Erdogan’s visit to the United States is troubling.”
The Metro police department says that additional information about the case will be released on Thursday.
A call placed to Yildirim’s phone went directly to voicemail.
This article has been updated with additional information.
