Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited two Turkish citizens who were arrested during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to the White House in Washington D.C. and charged with using violence against supporters of the PKK terrorist organization, which is officially recognized as a terrorist group by the U.S. Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu visited Eyüp Yıldırım and Sinan Narin, Turkish citizens, who were put on trial following the incidents that took place on May 16 outside of the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C. They were arrested by U.S police and are being prosecuted on charges of using violence against supporters of the PKK terrorist organization.
Çavuşoğlu said on his twitter account on Sept. 23, "We visited our brothers, Sinan Narin and Eyüp Yıldırım, in Washington D.C, whose trial continues, to convey our nations' greetings and best wishes."
On May 16, during Erdoğan's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, PKK supporters, as well as some protesters carrying Armenian flags, started shouting slogans against Turkey and Erdoğan in Lafayette Square Park, just north of the White House.
A group of Turkish citizens, who were also there to support Erdoğan and Turkey, started to respond to the group's verbal harassment.
As the altercation started, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police and U.S. Secret Service Agents were also around. Turkish citizens were moved from the area by the police, but PKK sympathizers stayed where they were. The Turkish citizens reportedly objected to this.
The first fight reportedly broke out at the Turkish Embassy when supporters of the terrorist group threw water bottles at Turkish citizens, triggering a 10-15 second fist fight in the middle of the road.
Only two police officers interceded in the fight, and it was clear the police were not ready for this scene, as there were only around 10 police officers outside the embassy.
Later, when Erdoğan arrived at the embassy building, protesters continued their grave insults, shouted slogans and threw water bottles. Some Turkish citizens and the head of the president's security detail stepped in.