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Erdogan: Trump Said He’s ‘Saddened’ Over Indictments Of Turkish Bodyguards, Ex-Government Minister

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Chuck Ross Investigative Reporter
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Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed on Friday that President Trump expressed remorse during a phone call last week about recent indictments against Erdogan’s bodyguards and a former government minister accused of money laundering.

“I am very saddened by this,” Erdogan says Trump told him of the indictments, the Associated Press reported.

The Turkish leader, who will visit the U.S. next week to attend the United Nations General Assembly, made the claim during a television interview. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the phone call, which occurred last Saturday.

Erdogan has been obsessed with the indictments, which he claims are politically motivated attacks on the Turkish government.

He’s been especially upset with indictments handed down in a case involving Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab. Zarrab stands trial next month for charges that he sold gold to Iran in exchange for oil in order to get around sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Earlier this month, federal prosecutors indicted Zafer Caglayan, a member of the Turkish parliament who served as Erdogan’s minister of economic affairs until late-2013. Federal prosecutors allege that Caglayan and Zarrab conspired with a Turkey-owned bank, Halkbank, to launder payments through American and European banks.

Many Turkey analysts believe that the authoritarian leader is worried that embarrassing information about his family will come out at trial.

Erdogan has also blasted the U.S. over the recent indictments of 15 of his bodyguards and security detail members for their roles in the May 16 attacks on peaceful protesters outside of the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C.

The bodyguards launched an attack on a small group of Kurdish protesters who were gathered outside the residence. The security detail members were captured on video attacking the protesters. One female protesters was kicked and stomped by Erdogan’s goons. Another woman was choked by an Erdogan bodyguard.

Erdogan will reportedly meet with Trump when he visits New York City for the UN General Assembly.

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