Trump sorry for guards’ brawl in Washington, Erdoğan says

WASHINGTON

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said U.S. President Donald Trump told him that he was “sorry” about the brawl between the U.S. authorities and his security guards during a previous visit to the U.S. capital in last May.

“President Trump called me about a week ago about this issue. He said that he was sorry and he told me that he was going to follow up on this issue when we come to the United States within the framework of an official visit,” Erdoğan said in an interview with PBS aired on Sept. 19 night.

The Guardian newspaper quoted a White House official as saying that the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues in last week’s phone conversation “but there was no apology.”

Eleven people were hurt in the brawl during Erdoğan’s visit to Washington. 

Erdoğan said the U.S. had failed to provide him protection from members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) during the visit.

A grand jury on Aug. 29 indicted 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, in connection with the brawl, according to U.S. prosecutors.