WASHINGTON — U.S. prosecutors said Thursday they have dismissed all criminal charges against seven of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bodyguards stemming from a brawl in Washington last year in which protesters were beaten. The charges were dropped last month just a day ahead of a meeting between Erdogan and now-outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, but the State Department said the timing was coincidental.
Prosecutors said they dropped the charges against the seven on Feb. 14 after dropping charges against four others in November. Assault charges are still pending against four other members of Erdogan’s security detail as well as two Canadian citizens accused in the May 2017 altercation outside the Turkish ambassador’s Washington home during a visit by Erdogan. The incident sparked outrage and was condemned by the State Department and local officials.
Turkey has said the demonstrators were outlawed Kurdish militants and loudly complained when charges were announced against 19 people, including some of Erdogan’s bodyguards. Two Americans pleaded guilty in December to assault in the matter and are currently awaiting sentencing.
The case badly damaged U.S.-Turkish relations and tensions between the NATO allies have increased further because of differences over military operations in Syria.
