Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Protesters injured outside Turkish embassy in Washington

The US has summoned the Turkish ambassador after violence erupted between protesters and Turkish security personnel in Washington on Tuesday.

Ambassador Serdar Kılıç met Under Secretary of State Tom Shannon on Wednesday, officials tell the BBC.

Eleven people were injured outside the Turkish ambassador's residence during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit.

Video footage of the clash on Tuesday showed men in suits charging past police to kick and punch protesters.

Washington police called the violence a "brutal attack on peaceful protesters".

But the Turkish embassy said the demonstrators had aggressively provoked Turkish-Americans gathering to greet the president, and they in turn had responded in self-defence.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused senior US diplomat Brett McGurk of backing Kurdish militants and said he should be sent home.

He said on Thursday that Mr McGurk, the US envoy to the coalition against so-called Islamic State (IS), was "definitely" supporting a Kurdish militant group, the Popular Protection Units (YPG), in Syria, as well as a Kurdish separatist group in Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Turkey sees the YPG as a terrorist group linked to the PKK, which has been fighting inside Turkey since the 1980s. Last week Mr Trump said he would arm the Syrian Kurds in the fight against IS.

Tensions have been high since the violent scuffle outside the Turkish ambassador's residence.

The incident drew an outcry among US lawmakers.

Senator John McCain on Thursday called for the envoy to be expelled.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Trump and Erdogan met at the White House earlier that day

"We should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America..." he told MSNBC's Morning Joe programme on Thursday.

"This kind of thing cannot go un-responded to diplomatically."

Democratic senator Claire McCaskill said she agreed with her Republican colleague, tweeting: "Unacceptable. They were assaulting these people on US soil. Turkish Ambassador should be kicked out of country."

Earlier this week the State Department released a statement saying it was "concerned by the violent incidents" and confirmed Turkish security guards were involved.

Mr Erdogan, who met President Donald Trump earlier in the day, was visiting the Turkish ambassador's residence when the scuffle broke out.

Washington's Metropolitan Police Department said it had arrested two US residents, Ayten Necmi, 49, and Jalal Kheirabadi, 42, over the incident.

It was unclear if they were members of Mr Erdogan's security or protesters.

Police Chief Peter Newsham said on Wednesday the violence was "not something we tolerate in our city".

Several of Mr Erdogan's security personnel, he added, were armed with guns, which made the incident especially "dicey" for local police officers trying to keep protests peaceful.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce also sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging them to take action over the clashes.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said it was "an affront to DC values and our rights as Americans".</s>What a week for investigative journalism. Since President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, the intrigue around possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia has swelled, culminating in the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the matter. But it's a series of bombshell scoops that have made the biggest splash day after day—exposing details of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's shady connections with Turkey, Trump's possible interference into the FBI's investigation of the 2016 campaign, the president's suggestion that the FBI throw journalists in jail, and a whole lot more.

Trump has not been happy about this. "Look at the way I've been treated lately—especially by the media," the president said Wednesday. "No politician in history—and I say this with great surety—has been treated worse or more unfairly." And of course, in typical Trump fashion, he's been tweeting about it, too.

Here's an overview of some of the great journalism that's been getting under Trump's skin this week:

"Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information to Russian Foreign Minister and Ambassador"

 The Washington Post dropped the first bomb with a report that the president shared highly classified information with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, a move intelligence experts worry will discourage a key ally from sharing more information with the United States. The ally in question—later revealed, in another scoop, to be Israel—has insight into the inner workings of the Islamic State and did not give the United States permission to share the information. Trump "revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies," a US official with knowledge of the matter told the Post.

"Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation"

 "I hope you can let this go," Trump told Comey in an effort to get him to drop the investigation into Flynn. That's according to a New York Times report based on a memo Comey wrote shortly after that meeting in February. An associate of the former FBI director also said Trump told Comey he should consider putting reporters in prison for publishing classified information.

"Trump Team Knew Flynn Was Under Investigation Before He Came to White House"

 Flynn secretly worked as lobbyist for the Turkish government during the Trump campaign and was under investigation by the Department of Justice. This week, the New York Times reported that the Trump team actually knew this before Flynn started working in the White House and offered him the job of national security adviser anyway.

"Flynn Stopped Military Plan Turkey Opposed—After Being Paid as Its Agent"

 After being paid more than $500,000 to represent the interests of Turkey, Flynn moved to halt a military operation opposed by Turkey, according to McClatchy. The Obama administration's plan to retake the Islamic State's de-facto capital of Raqqa had been in the works for seven months and involved action strongly opposed by Turkey: cooperating with and arming Kurdish forces, who are considered one of the United States' most effective allies in combating ISIS.

"As Investigators Circled Flynn, He Got a Message From Trump: Stay Strong" 

 On the same day in April that House Oversight Committee leaders announced that Flynn may have broken the law for not disclosing a $34,000 payment from RT, a television network intelligence officials describe as a Russian propaganda outlet, Trump sent the former national security adviser a message to "stay strong," according to Yahoo News. The continued contact between the two men after Flynn was fired raises additional concerns about the president's reported request to Comey to drop the FBI's investigation into Flynn.

"Trump Campaign Had At Least 18 Undisclosed Contacts With Russians"

 During the last seven months of the 2016 campaign, Trump's team had at least 18 contacts with Russia officials and other people with ties to the Kremlin that were not previously disclosed, according to Reuters. Those contacts are being reviewed by the FBI and congressional probes into whether Trump's team colluded with Russia. Reuters' sources say the communications reviewed so far don't show any evidence of wrongdoing. Six of the 18 contacts involved Russia ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Trump advisers, including Flynn.

House Majority Leader to Colleagues in 2016: 'I Think Putin Pays' Trump"

 House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told top Republicans that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin "pays" Trump, in a private conversation last year, according to the Washington Post. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) then jumped in to end that discussion and urge the group to keep it private, as captured in a recording of the conversation verified by the paper. "No leaks, alright?" Ryan said. "This is how we know we're a real family here." A spokesman for Ryan first claimed the exchange never took place and then called it "an attempt at humor."</s>Have another. You thought you might actually make it through a day without a fresh revelation concerning the Trump team, didn’t you? We almost made it, but the New York Times reported Wednesday night that the president’s transition team knew weeks before the inauguration that Michael Flynn was under federal investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the campaign.

Flynn reportedly told current White House counsel Donald F. McGahn II about the investigation on Jan. 4, and “despite this warning, which came about a month after the Justice Department notified Mr. Flynn of the inquiry, Mr. Trump made Mr. Flynn his national security adviser. The job gave Mr. Flynn access to the president and nearly every secret held by American intelligence agencies.”

And don’t forget. While he was advising then-candidate Trump during the presidential campaign, Flynn was also being paid $500,000 by a businessman with close ties to the Turkish government to represent Turkish interests in Washington. But Flynn neglected to register as a foreign agent until March of this year, a month after he was fired by president Trump for lying to VP Mike Pence over his conversations with the Russian ambassador before the inauguration.

Just before Trump’s swearing-in, Obama’s national security advisor Susan Rice briefed Flynn on a plan to arm Kurdish YPG fighters in northern Syria in preparation for their assault on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa. The move was certain to enrage the Turks, who consider the YPG a terrorist group. Flynn told Rice to hold off on the plan, and Trump would make the call. It’s unclear if Flynn’s lobbying relationship had any influence over his decision-making. Just this month, the Trump administration decided to go with the Obama plan, after all, as FP reported first.

More more more. And on Thursday morning, Reuters dropped a report that Flynn and other Trump advisers “were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race.” The interactions — which are not in themselves illegal — are being reviewed by FBI and congressional investigators looking into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Of note, however: “six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, and Trump advisers, including Flynn.” The report notes that the frequency of the contacts were what has raised red flags.

Naming names. On Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation into whether there was any coordination between the Trump administration and Russian government officials. The White House was informed of the decision just 30 minutes before the public announcement was made, when Rosenstein called White House Counsel Donald McGahn at 5:30 p.m.

Ankara still unhappy. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday he wanted Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy to the coalition against Islamic State, to be kicked to the curb. McGurk, “is definitely and clearly giving support to the PKK and YPG,” he said. The U.S. sides with Turkey in labeling the Kurdish PKK a terrorist group, but disagrees with the Turkish view that the YPG should also be slapped with the label. “It would be beneficial if this person is changed,” Cavusoglu said. McGurk was appointed by president Obama to lead the diplomatic side of the fight against ISIS, and was kept on by the Trump administration.

Trump keeps Iran deal alive. The Trump administration said Wednesday it will renew sanctions relief for Iran promised under a 2015 nuclear deal but also announced new punitive measures against Iranian officials over the country’s ballistic missile program. “The moves indicated that while President Donald Trump was not ready to openly jettison the international nuclear agreement with Iran, he was keen to display a tougher line over Tehran’s actions across the region,” FP’s Dan De Luce reports.

The sanctions include two Iranian defense officials and a China-based network the U.S. says has supported Iran’s ballistic missile program, the Wall Street Journal reports. A U.S.official said the U.S. had notified China of the pending sanctions. More from the Journal: “One Iranian defense official who is sanctioned facilitated the sale of explosives and provided other support to Syria, the official said. Another is the director of an Iranian organization that is responsible for the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile program.”

Road warrior. Trump leaves Friday for an eight-day international swing that few — including the president and his advisors — appear to be looking forward to. “In private, Mr. Trump’s advisers acknowledge that they are concerned about his off-script eruptions, his tendency to be swayed by flattery and the possibility that foreign leaders may present him with situations he doesn’t know how to handle. They worry he will accidentally commit the United States to something unexpected, and they have tried to caution him about various scenarios,” the New York Times reports.

Trump has been intermittently meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, deputy national security adviser Dina Powell and senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner to prep. But it’s sometimes hard to retain his attention, according to multiple reports. The president skims reports quickly, and according to Reuters, “National Security Council officials have strategically included Trump’s name in ‘as many paragraphs as we can because he keeps reading if he’s mentioned,’” according to one official.

Welcome to SitRep. Send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley.

Tapes. The Washington Post has access to a secret recording of House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from June of 2016 telling House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and other Republican Congressmen that he thinks then candidate Donald Trump is one of two Republican Congressmen paid by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ryan swore the assembled representatives to secrecy following McCarthy’s statement, saying “No leaks…This is how we know we’re a real family here,” according to a transcript of the conversation. Ryan’s spokesman Brendan Buck initially denied to the Post that the conversation had taken place, but then said that the McCarthy’s comments about Trump had been made in jest once the paper informed him it had access to an audio recording.

WiFi. Be careful what you send over the WiFi at Trump’s private club in Florida. Intrepid reporters at ProPublica decided to test the security of the network at Mar-a-Lago by renting a boat, packing up a long range antenna, and loitering just in range of President Trump’s Florida club, and checking to see what kind of encryption the WiFi network offers. Turns out that the club which Trump likes to call the “Southern White House” employs a weak encryption option which hackers can crack with basic, off-the-shelf free tools.

Violence. The U.S. is condemning the brawl that took place outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence, expressing its “concern” to the Turkish government “in the strongest possible terms,” according to Reuters. Turkish security officials and supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan broke through Washington, D.C. police lines, beating anti-Erdogan protesters assembled outside the ambassador’s residence on Embassy Row. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham called the incident a “brutal attack” on protesters and that his department was working to identify assailants. Towards that end, Bellingcat, the open source investigative news outlet, has a breakdown of imagery from the incident identifying individual officials involved in carrying out the violence.

We’re from the U.S. government, and we’re here to help. In a move that almost perfectly encapsulates the American Way of War, the Pentagon is preparing to send 159 Black Hawk helicopters to the Afghan armed forces, despite the fact that the Afghans don’t know how to fly them, don’t have the capacity to repair or maintain them, and the birds might not be the best fit for the hot, high-altitude environment. The Military Times tell us. Even better: the choppers — slated to replace the aging Russian helicopters the Afghans currently fly — might not even arrive for another two years.

Talks. The Taliban is ruling out the possibility of a negotiated settlement to the war in Afghanistan, RFE/RL reports. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that a peace deal with the Afghan government is “contrary to the national aspirations of millions of martyrs,” and against Islam. Mujahid also pushed back on reports that officials from warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Hezb-i-Islami faction, which recently signed a peace deal of its own with the government in Kabul, were in talks with Taliban members amenable to a settlement.</s>Arziona Sen. John McCain said Tuesday night that scandals now engulfing President Donald Trump are of "Watergate size and scale," invoking the scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon.

"I think we've seen this movie before," McCain said at a Washington, D.C., event honoring his commitment to freedom.

Daily Beast reporter Tim Mak, who was covering the event, reported that McCain told moderator Bob Schieffer, the former host of CBS' "Face the Nation," what advice he would give Trump:

"The same thing that you advised Richard Nixon, which he didn't do… get it all out … it's not going to be over until every aspect of it is thoroughly examined and the American people make a judgment. And the longer you delay, the longer it's going to last."

McCain's comments go further than any other congressional Republican in describing the potential scope of Trump scandals.

He spoke just hours after the New York Times reported on a memo from former FBI director James Comey that said President Trump had asked him to "shut down" a federal investigation of Michael Flynn, the president's former national security adviser.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake posted a seven-word tweet Tuesday evening: "Congress needs to see the Comey memo."

Other Republican members of Arizona's congressional delegation have remained silent on the Comey memo.

"This is obstruction of justice," Democratic Rep. Raul Grijvalva, of Tucson, said in a phone interview. "When you fundamentally ignore the rule of law and obstruct justice, this has to be investigated and those legal consequences need to be pursued."

Grijalva and others suggested the need for a special independent prosecutor.

"This is not about Trump - this is about democracy and the rule of law," said Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego, of Phoenix. "The Republicans, by holding back, are essentially aiding in this obstruction of justice. History is not going to look upon them very well."

"The American people deserve to be able to trust their President," Democratic Rep. Tom O'Halleran, of Sedona, said in a prepared statement. "It is deeply troubling and would be a breach of that trust if the reports are accurate."

Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema suggested in a tweet that possible "next steps" could include a public hearing and access to Comey's memos.

Republican Representatives Martha McSally of Tucson; Trent Franks of Glendale; David Schweikert of Scottsdale; Paul Gosar of Flagstaff; and Andy Biggs of Gilbert did not respond to emails seeking comment.</s>WASHINGTON — Turkish Ambassador to the US Serdar Kılıç was summoned to the State Department on Wednesday following the violent beating of protesters that took place outside of the Turkish embassy in Washington earlier this week, a senior State Department official told CNN.

“The conduct of Turkish security personnel earlier this week is deeply disturbing,” the official said. “The State Department has raised its concerns about these events at the highest levels and a thorough investigation that will allow us to hold the responsible individuals accountable is of the utmost importance to us.”

The official also confirmed that two members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail “were briefly detained during the altercations and subsequently released” and returned to Turkey with Erdogan.

“Customary international law affords heads of state and members of their entourage with inviolability from arrest and detention,” the official said. “The United States recognizes this inviolability, which provides reciprocal protection for the United States abroad.”

Several lawmakers have joined a growing chorus of voices demanding action in the wake of the bloody brawl that sent nine to the hospital on Tuesday — just hours after Erdogan met with President Donald Trump at the White House.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the armed services committee, called for the Turkish ambassador to the US to be thrown out of the country on Thursday.

“We should throw the Turkish ambassador out of the country, we should identify those people that performed these unlawful acts of beating people up and they should be charged,” McCain told reporters.

McCain and his Democratic colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California also wrote a letter to Erdogan condemning the violence.

The State Department told CNN on Thursday that it is “working closely with the local authorities concerning this incident,” but declined further comment as the investigation is ongoing.

The Turkish embassy claimed the groups that assembled were “affiliated with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party)” without permission and “began aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the President,” according to a statement released late Wednesday.

“The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense,” the statement from the Turkish embassy said. “We hope that, in the future, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that similar provocative actions causing harm and violence do not occur.”</s>"We should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America," McCain, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, told MSNBC.

"This kind of thing can not go unresponded to diplomatically," he said, adding that legal action could be pursued.

"This isn't Turkey, this isn't a third world country."

US officials expressed outrage after what they described as a "brutal attack" Tuesday by Erdogan bodyguards on a small group of pro-Kurdish protesters who gathered on the US capital's "Embassy Row" after Erdogan met with President Donald Trump at the White House.

Close-up footage shared on social media showed Turkish officials dressed in suits beating and punching people in the crowd and, in at least one case, kicking out at a woman splayed on the ground.

Washington Police Chief Peter Newsham said 11 people and one police officer were injured. Two people were arrested.

The Turkish Embassy on Thursday released a statement on the violence. It made no mention of Turkish security personnel, and blamed the unrest on demonstrators supporting the PKK, a group "which the US and Turkey have designated as a terrorist organisation."

"The demonstrators began aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president," the embassy said. "The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense and one of them was seriously injured."

McCain laid blame directly at the feet of Turkish officials.

"This is Erdogan's security detail. Somebody told them to go out there and beat up on these peaceful demonstrators," he said.

"I think it should have repercussions, including identifying these people and bringing charges against them. After all they violated American laws."

Republican senators Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Marco Rubio issued a statement denouncing the violence and demanding an immediate apology from the Turkish government.</s>Republican Senator John McCain told MSNBC that the Turkish Ambassador to the US should be kicked out of the country following the attack by the personal bodyguards of visiting Turkish President Recep Erdogan in Washington against Kurdish protesters in front of the Embassy. Mr. McCain tweeted: “This is the United States of America. We do not do this here. There is no excuse for this kind of thuggish behavior”. During his interview on MSNBC the Senator said that the incident warranted a response by the US diplomacy, saying “We should the Ambassador to the United States the hell out of here”. He added that legal action could be taken to identify the attackers and punish them. According to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Turkish Ambassador to the US Serdar Kilic was summoned by the US State Department to explain the attacks. Two people were arrested and 11 were injured in protests outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence amid President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit.

 Video footage of the clash on Tuesday showed men in suits charging past police to kick and punch protesters.

 Police called the violence a “brutal attack on peaceful protesters”.

 But the Turkish Embassy said the demonstrators were aggressively provoking Turkish-Americans who had gathered to greet the president, and they in turn responded in self-defence.</s>Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kiliç was called in to the State Department to meet with U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s guards violently entered a crowd of protesters, U.S. officials said Thursday.

“We can confirm that Ambassador Kilic was summoned to the State Department and met with Under Secretary Shannon on Wednesday,” a State Department official told NBC News.

And new video revealed Thursday shows Erdogan — who hours earlier had met with President Donald Trump — watching the fracas from his car outside the Turkish embassy. Before it begins, a guard bends to speak to the Turkish president. That guard talks to another man who then begins the fight.

Initial video only showed the bodyguards charging the protesters and the bloody aftermath.

The State Department confirmed that two members of the Turkish security team were briefly detained after the brawl, and then released. International law protects heads of state and members of their entourage from arrest.

Nine were hurt and two Kurdish protesters were arrested, police said on Wednesday.

The Turkish government placed the blame at the feet of the protesters, claiming that they were affiliated with “terrorist” groups.

“The violence and injuries were the result of this unpermitted, provocative demonstration,” read a statement from the Turkish embassy on Wednesday. “We hope that, in the future, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that similar provocative actions causing harm and violence do not occur.”

They did not provide any evidence to support their assertion of the protester’s ties.

U.S. government officials have been roundly critical of the guard’s actions. The initial response from the State Department condemned the violence.

“Violence is never an appropriate response to free speech, and we support the rights of people everywhere to free expression and peaceful protest,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Wednesday

Senators Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and John McCain, R-Arizona, sent a sharply worded letter to Erdogan on Thursday that demanded he punish his bodyguards and noted that it reflected his government’s oppressive tactics.

Violent clashes broke out between protesters and supporters of Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington. VOA

“The violent response of your security detail to peaceful protesters is wholly unacceptable and, unfortunately, reflective of your government’s treatment of the press, ethnic minority groups and political opponents,” the letter said.

Earlier in the day, McCain was slightly less diplomatic in an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, saying, “We should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America.”

This is not the first time that Erdogan’s entourage has been embroiled in a physical fight with protesters on U.S. soil. His security detail scuffled with demonstrators as well as members of the press outside the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. in March 2016.

“The actions of your staff violate the constitutional protections of freedom of the press and freedom of assembly enjoyed by all Americans,” Feinstein and McCain wrote in Thursday’s letter. “Your staff’s blatant violation of these rights on American soil is an affront to those freedoms and reflects poorly on your government.”</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top congressional Republicans are demanding the Trump administration take swift and severe action against the Turkish government in response to violence involving members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail, with one saying the U.S. “should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America.”

Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, expressed outrage Thursday at video that appears to show Erdogan’s bodyguards violently breaking up a protest earlier this week outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington.

“We should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America,” said McCain on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

McCain said “this kind of thing cannot go un-responded to diplomatically.” He suggested that lawsuits should be filed if the responsible bodyguards can be identified.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he wants “people prosecuted.”

“If there were any Turkish Embassy officials involved in beating up these protesters, I will call for them to be removed from the country,” said Graham, the GOP chairman of the Senate subcommittee that controls the foreign affairs budget.

A congressional aide told The Associated Press that two members of Erdogan’s security detail were detained on the scene Tuesday by diplomatic security agents. But the guards quickly claimed diplomatic immunity, and were released after diplomatic security consulted with counsel. The aide was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity to discuss the situation.

The State Department said Wednesday that “violence is never an appropriate response to free speech, and we support the rights of people everywhere to free expression and peaceful protest.”

The remarks from Graham and McCain come after Rep. Ed Royce of California, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, called on the Trump administration to investigate whether criminal charges are warranted against any of the bodyguards.

Royce detailed his request for an inquiry in a letter sent Wednesday to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He wrote that bodyguards with Erdogan on his official state visit to Washington “viciously beat multiple individuals, throwing them to the ground and kicking them in the head.”

The incident occurred after Erdogan arrived after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump. Video shows people pushing past police to confront a small group of protesters across the street in Sheridan Circle.

Attacking the small group of protesters with their fists and feet, men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled on a sidewalk. Another person wrenches a woman’s neck and throws her to the ground. A man with a bullhorn is repeatedly kicked in the face. In all, nine people were hurt.

Several other Senate Republicans, including Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, called on the Turkish government to immediately apologize for the violence.

In a statement, the Turkish Embassy blamed the violence on the demonstrators, saying they were “aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president. The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense and one of them was seriously injured.”

Tensions between Washington and Istanbul are running high after the Trump administration announced plans to arm Kurdish Syrian militants fighting the Islamic State group despite intense opposition from Turkey, which considers the Kurds as terrorists.

The decision is meant to accelerate the operation to recapture the key Islamic State group stronghold of Raqqa. But Erdogan’s government views the Syrian Kurdish group known as the YPG as an extension of a Kurdish terrorist organization that operates in Turkey.

But Trump and his national security team say the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, is the most effective battlefield partner against the Islamic State in northern and eastern Syria.</s>Group of GOP Senator Joins Chorus of Condemnation over Brutal Attack of Protesters

WASHINGTON—Senator John McCain, one of the leading foreign policy voices in Congress, on Thursday urged the expulsion of Turkey’s U.S. ambassador after pro-Turkish groups brutally attacked protesters during Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to DC. It was later revealed that members of Erdogan’s security team were involved in the bloody violence.

“We should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America … This kind of thing cannot go unresponded to diplomatically,” McCain, the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told MSNBC in an interview on Thursday, adding that legal action could also be pursued.

McCain had earlier tweeted about the incident calling the attack “thuggish behavior. “This is the United States of America. We do not do this here. There is no excuse for this kind of thuggish behavior,” McCain added in his Twitter post.

The U.S. State Department summoned the Turkish Ambassador in Washington Serdar Kılıç on May 17 after the attack outside the Turkish diplomatic mission, according to various sources, relaying their “strongest possible” concern over the event.

Meanwhile, a group of Republican senators on Wednesday joined the chorus of condemnation of the brutal attack on demonstrators in Washington by Erdogan’s security team.

“We strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington,” the Republican senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Mike Lee said in a statement.

“Reports indicate that some Turkish officials were involved in assaulting protesters, which violates the most basic rules of democracy and is an affront to the United States and the value we place on the right to free speech, as embodied in our Constitution. We call upon the Turkish government to apologize immediately for the involvement of any officials,” the statement continued.

“The Turkish government owes an apology; perhaps they forgot we have unalienable rights in this country,” Cardin tweeted.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce on Wednesday sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging them to examine charges against those responsible.

“Numerous news reports indicate these individuals were members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail who accompanied him on his official state visit this week. Alarmingly, this behavior is indicative of the broad crackdowns on political activists, journalists and religious freedom in Turkey that have greatly harmed Turkish democracy in recent years,” said Royce in his letter.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee also voiced his strong condemnation of the attack, saying that while assaults on freedom of speech, the press, and free assembly have become tragically commonplace in Erdogan’s Turkey, such acts do not have a place in the United States.

“On Tuesday, President Trump hosted Turkish President Erdogan at the White House. Casting aside concerns about human rights abuses and the suppression of free speech in Turkey, President Trump lavished praise on this increasingly autocratic leader. President Trump’s embrace of Erdogan is another in the line of similarly warm embrace of autocrats around the globe,” Schiff wrote on Facebook.

“Just hours after the meeting at the White House, Erdogan’s security detail violently assaulted Kurdish, Armenian, Ezidi and other peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence. While we’re still learning details about what occurred, disturbing videos show members of Erdogan’s security team turning on the protesters. The Administration has thus far been conspicuously silent on this incident, but it cannot go unanswered. There must be consequences for the individuals who attacked protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, and they should be identified and questioned before they leave the country,” added Schiff.

“Assaults on freedom of speech, the press, and free assembly have become tragically commonplace in Erdogan’s Turkey. We must ensure that never becomes the case here at home,” said Schiff.

On Thursday, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus, sent a letter to President Trump asking his administration to condemn the attacks by Turkish security forces on protesters at the Turkish embassy.

“What is now needed is a clear signal from you that this type of behavior will not be tolerated, especially in light of your Administration’s support of the Erdogan regime. In the wake of a referendum last month that consolidated President Erdogan’s power – a result which was questioned by election observers in Turkey – and included intimidation and violence toward Erdogan opponents leading up to the vote, you personally called to congratulate President Erdogan. You have also been supportive of his efforts to suppress the Kurds in Turkey. You met personally with Mr. Erdogan on the same morning this abuse occurred, and according to media accounts, no mention was made of Erdogan’s human rights abuses,” Pallone told Trump in his letter.

“Neither you nor your White House staff has made any comment about the attack. It needs to be made explicitly clear, from the highest level of our government, that bullying and brutality towards peaceful protesters will not be tolerated in this country – even from visiting heads of state. It also needs to be assured that your White House staff will comply fully with efforts to identify Turkish security forces who violated U.S. law, and allow justice to be pursued unfettered,” added Pallone.

“Our Constitution guarantees the freedom of assembly and speech. Those rights cannot be trampled by an abusive foreign leader or his security personnel. I look forward to a more robust response from your Administration on this incident, and I thank you for your consideration,” concluded Pallone.

Also on Thursday, California Republican congressman Jim Costa issued a statement regarding Tuesday’s brutal attack.

“Given Turkey’s movement towards an authoritarian government, President Erdoğan’s visit with the President in the West Wing is unsettling. President Erdoğan’s recent elimination of individual freedoms and jailing members of the press should not be rewarded by a visit to the Oval Office,” said Costa.

“To add injury to insult, it appears that a contingent of President Erdoğan’s security team unilaterally took violent action against peaceful demonstrators who were raising awareness of Turkey’s violations of human rights. The Turkish security guards clearly attacked the Armenian, Kurdish, Yezidi, and other human rights demonstrators, sending nine to the hospital,” added Costa.

“Sadly, it appears that history may be repeating itself. Many of us in recent weeks have seen the movie “The Promise,” which is an accurate historical portrayal of the Armenian genocide that took place beginning in 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. In the movie, we witnessed the beginnings of these acts of atrocity with the depiction of young, Turkish men beating innocent people. As we know, modern-day Turkey has been unwilling as a country to acknowledge the genocide ever happened. We cannot allow Tuesday’s violent and illegal behavior by the Turkish security guards to go unaddressed,” stressed Costa. “The actions of the Turkish security guards are outrageous, and I condemn them. They violate both American law and deeply-held American values. The Turkish security guards must be held accountable.

“Our American President should take appropriate diplomatic and legal action against these Turkish thugs for their violence towards the Armenian, Kurdish, Yezidi, and other human rights demonstrators. If he does so, I believe he will find overwhelming bipartisan support in the US Congress,” urged Costa.
The U.S. summons Turkish ambassador Serdar Kılıç after violence between protesters and Turkish security personnel outside the Embassy of Turkey, Washington, D.C. leaves over a dozen people injured. U.S. Senator John McCain calls on the Trump administration to expel the ambassador.