IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 354 
Condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Am-
bassador’s residence on May 16, 2017, and calling for the perpetrators 
to be brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar 
incidents in the future. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 24, 2017 
Mr. ROYCE of California (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCCARTHY, Mr. 
HOYER, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. THOMPSON 
of Mississippi, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. LANCE, Mr. SCHNEIDER, and Mr. 
GOODLATTE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside 
the Turkish Ambassador’s residence on May 16, 2017, 
and calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice 
and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents 
in the future. 
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 
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•HRES 354 IH 
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 Co-
lumbia police officers to brutally attack the demonstra-
tors; 
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; 
Whereas at least 11 individuals were seriously injured in the 
ensuing brawl, with two individuals requiring immediate 
hospitalization; 
Whereas two armed Turkish security officers attached to a 
security detail were detained at the scene for physically 
assaulting Federal agents; 
Whereas those two Turkish security officers were later re-
leased and subsequently allowed to leave the United 
States because they held Derived Head of State immu-
nity; 
Whereas the Department of State did not request that Tur-
key waive the immunity for these two security officers in 
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order to fully investigate the assault prior to their being 
released from custody; 
Whereas a joint criminal investigation into the incident is on-
going with the combined efforts of the Washington Met-
ropolitan Police Department, the United States Secret 
Service, and the Department of State Diplomatic Secu-
rity 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 pro-
test 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; 
Whereas in 2016, members of Turkish President Erdogan’s 
security detail engaged in unwarranted violence against 
journalists reporting on an event at the Brookings Insti-
tution; 
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 
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