[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 354 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 354

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    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 jurisdiction 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 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;
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 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;
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 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.
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