WASHINGTON (A.W.)—Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.), who represents Texas’s 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, condemned the May 16 attack on peaceful protesters, carried out by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bodyguards in Washington D.C. Poe’s remarks were delivered on the U.S. House of Representatives floor on May 22.
Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.), who represents Texas’s 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, condemned the May 16 attack on peaceful protesters (Photo: ANCA)
“Turkish President Erdogan has brought his brutal crackdown on human rights to Washington, D.C. For years, Erdogan has attacked Turkey’s democratic institutions, undermined the rule of law, and violated Turkish civil liberties,” explained Poe, who also said that Erdogan was becoming a “Turkish dictator.”
“[Erdogan] is showing he doesn’t believe in the democratic principles of free speech and peaceful assembly. But, Madam Speaker, we will have no foreign tyrant violating these sacred rights on American soil without consequences,” Poe added.
Below are Poe’s remarks in full.
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Madam Speaker, it looks like Turkish President Erdogan has brought his brutal crackdown on human rights to Washington, D.C. For years, Erdogan has attacked Turkey’s democratic institutions, undermined the rule of law, and violated Turkish civil liberties.
On Tuesday, several bullies violently assaulted protesters outside the Turkish Embassy here in Washington. These Gestapotype body guards beat peaceful demonstrators, in one case kicking a woman lying on the ground.
This type of behavior is unacceptable. Erdogan is becoming a Turkish dictator. One of the traits of a dictator is to violently quash opposition.
He is showing he doesn’t believe in the democratic principles of free speech and peaceful assembly. But, Madam Speaker, we will have no foreign tyrant violating these sacred rights on American soil without consequences.
And that is just the way it is.
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Below is a video of Rep. Poe’s remarks.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e81xuN0bck4?feature=oembed&w=620&h=349]
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: Rep. Ted Poe Condemns D.C. Attack, Erdogan, on U.S. House Floor