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 source did not provide the names of the men arrested for their role in the May 17 attack, though the Washington-based Turkish news website Washington Hatti reported on Wednesday that one man involved in the attacks was detained in New Jersey.
Eyup Yildirim, 50, was arrested and will go before a judge in Newark, Washington Hatti reported.
The U.S. Marshal Service referred The Daily Caller to the Washington, D.C. Metro police department, which is investigating the case along with the State Department and Secret Service. The department did not respond to a request for comment about the arrests.
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.
Halil Mutlu, cousin of Recep Erdogan, and Eyup Yildirim (right). (Youtube screen grab)
Lucy Usoyan, the woman kicked and stomped by Yildirim and other Erdogan supporters, told TheDC that she went to the hospital where she was diagnosed with head trauma.
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.
A construction company owner, Yildirim was 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 me 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.
Eyup Yildirim (left) kicking Kurdish protester outside Turkish embassy, May 17, 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.
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.
A call placed to Yildirim’s phone went directly to voicemail.
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