WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans and Democrats are set to unleash a wave of bipartisan fury against Turkey over violence against peaceful protesters carried out by bodyguards traveling with the country’s president.
Lawmakers are expected to approve overwhelmingly a resolution that calls for members of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail who were involved in the incident to be brought to justice. The vote is slated for Tuesday evening.
The resolution is backed by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Minority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. The strong support for the measure reflects lingering anger on Capitol Hill over the attacks last month on demonstrators outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., had demanded that Erdogan and other Turkish leaders condemn and apologize for the “brutal behavior against innocent civilians exercising their First Amendment rights.”
Pressure also has been mounting on the Trump administration not to let the violence on U.S. soil go unpunished. A bipartisan group of senators also had urged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to order the Turkish government to waive any claims to immunity for the bodyguards.