H. Res. 354 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

June 6, 2017. 

Whereas, on May 16, 2017, President Donald J. Trump 

hosted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a 

longstanding NATO ally, for an official meeting at the 

White House to discuss counterterrorism cooperation and 

bilateral issues; 

Whereas, on the evening of May 16, 2017, over two dozen 

protesters gathered outside of the Turkish Ambassador’s 

residence in Washington, DC, to demonstrate opposition 

to Turkish government policies; 

Whereas after hours of peaceful protest, violence erupted 

when pro-Erdogan supporters and individuals from the 

Turkish Embassy grounds pushed past District of Columbia police officers to brutally attack the demonstrators; 

Whereas those Turkish officials blatantly suppressed the 

First Amendment rights of United States citizens, and 

multiple armed Turkish security officials beat, kicked, 

and choked unarmed demonstrators; 

Whereas multiple video recordings of the violence and reports 

by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of 

Columbia and the Department of State confirm that the 

demonstrators did not instigate the violence; 
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Whereas at least 11 individuals were seriously injured in the 

ensuing brawl, with 2 individuals requiring immediate 

hospitalization; 

Whereas separately, two armed Turkish security officers attached to a security detail were detained for physically 

assaulting Federal agents; 

Whereas those two Turkish security officers were later released and subsequently allowed to leave the United 

States because they held Derived Head of State immunity; 

Whereas the Department of State did not request that Turkey waive the immunity for these two security officers in 

order to fully investigate the assault prior to their being 

released from custody; 

Whereas a joint criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing with the combined efforts of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Secret 

Service, and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service; 

Whereas at no point was President Erdogan in danger; 

Whereas immunity for diplomatic personnel and certain other 

foreign officials is a core principle, as is the right to protest peacefully and freely in the United States; 

Whereas this is the third instance of violence perpetrated by 

members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail 

in United States territory; 

Whereas in 2011, a brawl erupted in the halls of the United 

Nations General Assembly between members of Turkish 

President Erdogan’s security detail and United Nations 

security officers, resulting in one United Nations security 

officer being hospitalized due to serious injuries; 
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Whereas in 2016, members of Turkish President Erdogan’s 

security detail engaged in unwarranted violence against 

journalists reporting on an event at the Brookings Institution; 

Whereas Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on May 21, 

2017, that the violence outside the Turkish Embassy was 

‘‘outrageous’’ and ‘‘simply unacceptable’’; and 

Whereas the right to assembly, peaceful protest, and freedom 

of speech are essential and protected rights in the United 

States: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— 

(1) the rights to peacefully assemble and freely express one’s views are essential to the fabric of American 

democracy; 

(2) the Turkish security forces acted in an unprofessional and brutal manner, reflecting poorly on President Erdogan and the Government of Turkey; 

(3) any Turkish security officials who directed, 

oversaw, or participated in efforts by Turkish security 

forces to illegally suppress peaceful protests on May 16, 

2017, should be charged and prosecuted under United 

States law; 

(4) the United States Secret Service and the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State 

should review this incident and confirm with the Turkish 
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National Police the standards expected by visiting security details to prevent future violent incidents; 

(5) the Department of State should immediately request the waiver of immunity of any Turkish security detail official engaged in assault in the United States prior 

to release of that individual from custody; 

(6) the Department of State should conduct a review of its own security procedures to determine how to 

mitigate the likelihood of such an event in the future; 

(7) the United States respect for free speech requires officials of the United States to speak out against 

such incidents; and 

(8) the United States should take steps to strengthen freedoms for the press and civil society in countries 

such as Turkey, and combat efforts by foreign leaders to 

suppress free and peaceful protest in their own countries. 

Attest: 

Clerk.