Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is in Washington, D.C., this week for a nuclear security summit, and his talk at the Brookings Institution is turning into a melee between his bodyguards and journalists, protesters, and security.
The increasingly dictatorial president, who has jailed hundreds of political opponents, seized the country’s largest newspaper, and tried to rewrite the constitution, was greeted by a crowd of protesters, who were allegedly blocked from view by official vehicles as his motorcade arrived.
#Turkey's Pres. #Erdogan arrives at #Brookings @RT_Erdogan @BrookingsFP pic.twitter.com/nLUDezIVlp
— Hunter Marston (@hmarston4) March 31, 2016
Erdogan’s bodyguards are supposedly attacking journalists outside the building and trying to forcibly remove those within.
This should be fine. Erdogan bodyguards try to kick out journalist from inside, Brookings guards stopped. pic.twitter.com/03C2RJBizf
— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) March 31, 2016
Erdogan's thugs attack reporters outside @BrookingsInst as Erdogan speaks inside. pic.twitter.com/kg7Ae88qes
— Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) March 31, 2016
All of this would be even more shocking if it weren’t eerily reminiscent of the rallies of an aspiring authoritarian president who is situated a little closer to home.