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ISTANBUL Turkeys Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest Monday with the U.S. ambassador over aggressive actions by American security personnel during a visit to Washington last week by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was marred by a violent clash between Turkish guards and protesters.

The summoning of the ambassador, John Bass, sharply escalated a diplomatic rift between Turkey and the United States following the violence. Footage of the brawl was widely circulated on social media, prompting outrage in the United States, along with calls for the prosecution of the Turkish guards and even the expulsion ofTurkeys ambassadorto Washington.

American and Turkish officials have provided directlycontrasting versions of how the violence unfolded. Local policesaid the Turkish guards savagely attacked a peaceful protest outside the Turkish ambassadors residence as Erdogan was visiting.Footage of the melee showed what appeared to be Turkish security guards kicking and choking protesters aspolice struggled to contain the unrest. It also showed Erdogan watching, from a distance, as the fighting raged.

Erdogans critics seized on the bloody altercation and a similar flash of violence during the Turkish presidentsvisit to Washington last year as indicative of his governments iron-fisted approach to protests and dissent at home.

But Turkish diplomats faulted the local police, saying they had failed to quell an unpermitted and provocative demonstration.

(Kareem Fahim, Jason Aldag / The Washington Post)

The Turkish Foreign Ministrys statement Monday went even further, criticizing the inability of U.S. authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official program. And it demanded that the United States conduct afull investigation of this diplomatic incident and provide the necessary explanation.

The statement also blamed U.S. security personnel foraggressive and unprofessional actions against the Turkish foreign ministers protective detail. A Turkish official said it was a reference to an incident several hours after the protest, when U.S. diplomatic security agents briefly detained two Turkish guards as they were trying to enter the Turkish Embassy. The guards were later released and returned to Turkey, the official said.

Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, confirmed in a statement thatBass had been summoned by the Turkish Foreign Ministryto discuss the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish security personnel on May 16.

As we noted previously, the conduct of Turkish security personnel last week was deeply disturbing, she said. The State Department has raised its concerns about those events at the highest levels.

The spiraling argument appeared to sour what by all accounts had been a friendly meeting between Erdogan and President Trump before the protest. In a joint press appearance at the White House, the two leaders were full of mutual praise and spoke of hopes for a closer and more productive relationship.

But the rift has also laid bare policy disagreements, particularly over the war in Syria, that have stirred tensions between the two allies. Turkey has been angered by theTrumpadministrations decision to arm a Kurdish force to fightthe Islamic State militant group inSyria in partnershipwith theUnited States. Turkey says the group is an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers Party(PKK),which is regarded as a terrorist organization by Ankara and Washington.

Kurdishactivists were among the protesters in D.C. on May 16 outside the ambassadors residence, according to footage of the violence. Some held signs in support ofSelahattin Demirtas, a co-leader of a pro-Kurdish political party who is in prison and facing prosecution in Turkey. Others held the flag of the Peoples Protection Units, the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish force.

It is not clear from the footagewhat set off the melee, but Turkish security guards, as well as men insuits who were standingamong a pro-Erdogan contingent, can be seen attacking the protesters, including repeatedly kicking a man lying on the ground. Another video shows Erdogan himself watching the protest after emerging from his car in the ambassadors driveway.

Turkeys semiofficialAnadolu news agency on Saturday published an account by one of its correspondents that said the first fights broke out when the protesters threw water bottles at a pro-Erdogan group.

When the Turkish president arrived at the ambassadors residence, it said, protesters continued their grave insults, so some Turkish citizens and the head of the presidents security detail stepped in.

The tensions stirred by the violence were apparent at a conference on U.S.-Turkey relations held at the Trump hotel in Washington on Monday. Bass, who was listed as a luncheon keynote speaker, did not attend, though it was unclear whether his absence was caused by the diplomatic row.

Turkeys ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic, used his speech at the conference luncheon to defend his countrys actions. Differences of opinion are natural among two allies, he said, but added: There is a big difference between freedom of expression and expression of solidarity with terrorists and terrorism. It was disappointing to see friends of PKK on the streets of Washington, D.C.

Another speaker, State Department Undersecretary Thomas Shannon, praised Turkeys longtime alliance with the United States as well as the resolve of Turkish citizens in responding to the coup attempt last year. That is why Americans were so concerned and disturbed by the violent incident, he said.

One of the conference chairs, Ekim Alptekin, a Turkish businessman who is close to senior Turkish officials, was at the center of another recent controversy between the United States and Turkey when it emerged that a company Alptekin owned had paid former national security adviser Michael Flynn to investigate an enemy of the Turkish government.

Carol Morello and Tom Hamburger in Washington contributed to this report.

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Erdogans guards clash with protesters outside Turkish ambassadors D.C. residence

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Turkey condemns US over 'aggressive' acts against Erdogan's guards during DC visit - Washington Post

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AsTurkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan takes extraordinary steps to consolidate power and to crush dissent within his country. Here in the United States, Oklahoma City Thunder star and Turkish native Enes Kanter has been unafraid to speak out against the undermining of democratic institutions withinhis home country. His basketball stardom has afforded Kanter a platform most Turks dont have, giving his criticism of the Turkish government more weight. Thats too much for a strongman like Erdogan to take. So the Turkish government tried to silence Kanter just this past weekend once and for all, and now the basketball star is opening up about the oppression he and other Turks face with Erdogan in power.

The harassment of Kanter came to a head on his latest trip abroad. With his NBAseason over, Kanter has been traveling around the world, hosting basketball camps with his foundation. When he wasin Indonesia, Kanters manager knocked on his hotel room door in the middle of the night and said they needed to talk. He told me the Turkish government has called Indonesia and told them Enes Kanter is a dangerous man, Kanter says. The army and secret service were going to shut down his camp, and they needed to get out of the country.

They fled to Romania, the site of his next scheduled event, on the earliest flight they could board. But as he tried to enter Romania, he found the Turkish government had revoked his passport. He worried that he would deported back to Turkey and jailed by Erdogan. WhileRomanian policedetained him, he filmed a video for Twitter to let the world know what was happening.

To understand Kanters objections to Erdogan, it helps to have a little background. Erdogan effortsto change Turkey from a parliamentary democracy into to a country with a strong executive have been successful. It has been part of a decades-long quest for power. In 1994, when he was elected mayor of Istanbul, he started banning alcohol sales in cafs as part of his effort to turn secular Turkey into an Islamic-dominant country. In the 2000s he founded a party that would eventually win a majority of seats in Parliament and make him prime minister. Herose to president and just as corruption investigations seemed poised to bring him down;he was able to deflect blame and quash the inquest. Since then he has been cracking down on dissent. And with his country in turmoil, last year a failed military coup gave him the political capital to seize more power. He had people fired from their jobs, jailed people deemed as coup sympathizers, and became the worlds leader ofjailing journalists.

The frightening reach of Erdogans autocratic ways were felt in America last week. He came to the States to be welcomed by friend of dictators, President Donald Trump. While he was in Washington, D.C., Kurdish immigrants protested the Turkish embassy. What happened next was truly disturbing.

The bodyguards who beat the protestors in full view of Erdogan left the country withoutconsequence. In fact, when they returned, the Turkish government demanded an apology from the United Statesfor interfering with Erdogans security detail.

Its behavior like this from Erdogan and his lackeys that has Kanter speaking out that nearly cost him his freedom this weekend, but this wasnt the beginning of the harassment.It started with him being left off the Turkish national team, despite being their best player, and has evolved into his inabilityto visitTurkey for fear of being arrestedorkilled. Andto protect family and friends back home and in order to keep Erdogan from jailing them, hes had to cut off all communications. Those family members still face harassment in Turkey. (His dadhas been spit on at the supermarketfor having a son who questions Erdogan.)

With some help from the United States, Kanter was able to leave Romania for London and then return to New York toavoid detention by Turkish authorities. Yet, it will be a while before life will be back to normal for him or his country.

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What Erdogan And The Turkish Government Are Doing To This NBA Star Is Chilling - GOOD Magazine

ANKARA, TURKEY - MAY 24: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) 73rd General Assembly in Ankara, Turkey on May 24, 2017.

By Sinan Uslu, Ozcan Yildirim, Selma Kasap and Duygu Yener

ANKARA

Turkey's president on Wednesday branded high interest rates a tool of economic exploitation, not mere profit.

"There are complaints about high interest rates everywhere. As president I always kept it on my list, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) in the capital Ankara.

Because I see high interest as a tool of exploitation. Its not a mentality for profit but exploitation," he added.

Erdogan has been outspoken in advocating that lenders and Turkeys Central Bank bring down interest rates.

Erdogan said that they continue to stand by everyone whose only aim is to produce and develop the country.

"We provide all kinds of support to those who are keen to work, produce, and earn rather than standing in their way. We always consult with representatives of the Turkish business environment in all this work," he added.

In the year 2035

Separately Erdogan predicted that by the year 2035, Turkey's population will exceed 90 million, putting it into the upper echelons of countries by population, and that it will maintain its power.

"The most important thing is we will utilize this population in the most effective way by joining the world's top 10 economies," he said, adding that they are determined that Turkey's young, educated, and dynamic population will be the engine of the country's economic growth.

Erdogan said that by 2035 Turkey will take its place among the worlds most prosperous countries after per capita income rises above $25,000, and wealth will spread across Turkey, reducing income inequality.

He added that this will bring solidarity to the country.

Citing his call in early February for businesses to create jobs, he said Turkish business circles responded positively, adding 1.17 million people to the employment rolls.

In addition Erdogan stressed that they should make Turkey a global hub for information technology, energy, transportation, logistics, and trade by combining economic breakthroughs with new investment opportunities.

"Let's make a 100 percent Turkish-made car within the TOBB community," he said, adding that Turkey has the people and parts necessary to produce such a car.

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Erdogan: High interest rates are tool for exploitation - Anadolu Agency

New York Times

NBA Player Enes Kanter Blames Erdogan for Detention in Romania New York Times If they sent me back to Turkey, probably you guys wouldn't hear a word from me the second day, Kanter said on Monday, leaving no doubt that he believed the Erdogan government was the cause. The reason behind it was, whoever is going to try to go ... Turkish NBA player calls Tayyip Erdogan 'Hitler of our century'Globalnews.ca Turkish NBA star Kanter calls Erdogan 'Hitler of our century'Reuters Enes Kanter calls Turkey's Erdoan 'Hitler of our century' after airport detainmentThe Guardian SLAM Online -Fox Business -POLITICO.eu -ESPN all 115 news articles »

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NBA Player Enes Kanter Blames Erdogan for Detention in Romania - New York Times

Until the April vote, Turkish presidents were obliged to cut ties with their parties to show their neutrality.

But the constitutional changes scrapped that rule, and on Sunday, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) returned the reins to Erdogan in a extraordinary Congress in Ankara.

"I am grateful to you for considering me worthy of becoming the leader of the Justice and Development Party once again," he said.

Erdogan could potentially remain president until 2029 under the country's new political structure.

The President appeared to have come to the Congress with the country's next elections in mind, reminding his supporters that "2019 is upon us."

"We will have local elections in March 2019, and general elections and presidential elections in November 2019. We shall not stop. We shall work hard and maintain our humbleness," he said Sunday. Some 80,000 supporters showed up to the Congress, according to media reports.

Erodgan co-founded the AKP in 2001, and the political powerhouse has ruled the country since its 2002 election win. Resuming leadership of the party would put Erdogan in control of both the executive branch of government and the largest party in Parliament.

It will also mean he can appoint his loyalists to more key posts.

The referendum, brought forward by the AKP, was widely condemned by European leaders and rights groups, who saw it as a blatant power grab by a leader showing increasing dictatorial tendencies.

Following an attempted military coup last year, Erodgan has led an ongoing purge that has gutted public institutions and crushed his political opponents. More than 100,000 people have been either jailed, arrested or suspended from their jobs.

He has been able to use heavier-handed tactics under the country's state of emergency, which was declared following the coup attempt and extended several times. On Sunday, Erdogan said that he had no plans to end it.

"We will end it when peace and safety and security is restored. Why should we end it? Schools are open. Factories are running. Everything is going on as normal," he said.

The tentacles of Erdogan's crackdown have also reached the country's universities and media organizations, once bastions of free thought and expression in Turkey. Academics and journalists considered critics of the government have been imprisoned for months without trial.

Erdogan also appears to have taken this brutality to the United States, where men who appeared to be his bodyguards were captured on a video by Voice of America on Tuesday outside the Turkish ambassador's home pushing and repeatedly kicking anti-Erdogan protestors.

Two law enforcement officials confirmed to CNN that Turkish security officials were involved in the bloody brawl.

It is not the first time members of Erdogan's entourage have been filmed fighting in public.

A little more than a year ago in the same city, journalists accused members of Erdogan's security detail of manhandling them and cursing them at a speech the Turkish president gave at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

CNN's Joseph Netto, Elise Labott, Zachary Cohen, Paul P. Murphy and Peter Morris contributed to this report.

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Erdogan returns as chief of Turkey's ruling party - CNN.com