WASHINGTON (A.W.)— On May 18, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) called for the removal of the Turkish Ambassador to the United States.
“We should throw [Turkey’s] Ambassador the hell out of the United States of America. This isn’t Turkey or a third world country,” McCain said, speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. “This kind of thing cannot go unresponded diplomatically,” he added.
McCain stressed that these were Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail and not just average people that crossed police lines and attacked the peaceful demonstrators. “Somebody told them to go out there and beat up on these peaceful demonstrators and I think it should have repercussions,” McCain explained. He also said that these individuals needed to be identified and charged since they violated American laws on U.S. soil.
McCain’s remarks come after a group of peaceful protesters were attacked by Erdogan’s security details outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence. Two people were arrested in the attack that left nine people injured.
A day earlier, Sen. McCain had also condemned Turkish authorities in a tweet, which read: “This is the United States of America. We do not do this here. There is no excuse for this kind of thuggish behavior.”
No, throw the ambassador out and throw his staff out too – after they are arrested and prosecuted.
And no, diplomatic immunity is not 100%.
To be covered you have to be acting in a way that is consistent with diplomatic duties. Those Turkish thugs were simply involved in lawlessness.
That is not covered. You can’t just go rob a bank and claim “diplomatic immunity”.
Senator McCain thank you for bein vocal.
However these are words only. No one will be thrown out. Turkey and erdogan have hijacked America along with two other middle eastern countries. All with the help of the State Dept. and Washington “lawmakers”.
These countries have been let loose to continue to damage the interests of the US.
“This is the United States of America. We do not do this here.”
Yes, you’re so right Johnny boy. You do it in other places, like in Syria when you are entering the country there illegally and meeting senior members of Alqaeda to give them instructions on how to destroy the country for the sake of your handlers.
You’re the first one that needs to be thrown out of this country.
Bravo, Senator McCain! Thank you for speaking out.
You don’t have to take verbal–and verbal only–actions calling to throw Turkish ambassador out of the U.S. You should recognize the Armenian Genocide. And THAT will be America’s fitting response to Turkish hooliganism in the nation’s capital. If, of course, America considers herself a great nation, and not a sissy…
John MCcain is a good man!!
How do they get away with this. Throw tem out! Anyone else assaults people n goes to jail!
I don’t like it when elected officials simply throw in the untrue statement that Turkey has been a good ally of the US. That’s kissing up.
It’s also untrue, and Turkey does not deserve that kind of respect.
There is a saying, “When an elephant falls, even a frog can kick it.”
Thanks Senator,I agree .
We have four more US states to go to get the genocide of the Armenians recognized.
What the Turk bodyguards did is appalling to any American, just as were their efforts to gag what Americans and their leaders can say about the Genocide. What Turks in leadership do to their own people is also appalling.
This is not going to change.
However, during the week in which this all unraveled for the Turks, Artsakh was again attacked, and Armenians were again murdered by Genocidal Azeris.
We should in the long run lower our focus a bit on Turkey, and increase it on protecting the homeland. The Turks who attacked peaceful people at Sheridan Park are cousins to the Genocidal Azeris who would slit the throat of every Armenian woman and baby if given a chance. We must deny them that chance.
If you are touched by John McCain, ‘step up to the plate’
My first encounter with U.S. Senator John McCain was in the brick wall catacombs of a U.S. Senate office building. I was accompanied by a decorated U.S. Army Second World War Veteran, who was the lone infant survivor of the slaughter of his village in historic Armenia at the hands of the Ottoman Turks, and a Cub Scout in uniform. I asked McCain why he was the only Vietnam Veteran in the U.S. Congress, not to vote to recognize the Armenian Genocide. I later informed by Dr. Ross Vartian, a fellow combat veteran in DC, that McCain’s opposition was premised not on denial but the form of the resolution. Our party of three generations moved on to Senator Al Gore’s office to give thanks for his vote. Gore’s chief of staff greeted us with; “We know this history and you need not have bothered to come.” Nevertheless he continued; “We were pressured to vote the resolution down – pressure we have not seen since the controversy over the MX Missile. As such, in a routine call from the CEO of the largest defense plant in Tennessee, the conversation concluded with asking us to vote down the Armenian Genocide resolution. My response; What the ‘f’ business is that of yours?” McCain and Gore in that one morning long showed honor I will never forget, and why would they need to remember me.
Independent of that one time, a faxed letter arrived signed by Senators John McCain, Al Gore and every member of the U.S. Congress who had served in Vietnam. It informed me that I was named one of twenty five selected to represent some eight million Vietnam Era Veterans. I was flown to DC to summit with Soviet Afghanistan veterans. Today, John McCain and two thirds our number in Vietnam have since passed.
John Chaffee was an incumbent U.S. Senator at the time I was called upon to delivered the Washington based Vietnam Veterans PAC Senatorial endorsements in the northeast before gathered press. For races from New Hampshire to Connecticut, I had named Republicans and the only named Democrat was Republican Senator John Chaffee’s opponent. Chaffee’s campaign’s response attempted to diminish my representation, which was seemingly transparent and weak to any investigative reporter checking prior to calling me. Yet Chaffee’s another example of honor.
Apparently Chaffee, like McCain was not bound by our first encounter. On the contrary, when I was called to D.C. to testify before a U.S. Congressional oversights and investigations committee, my mentored was John Chaffee in the early morning hours before our train pulled into Union station. Several years later, I receive a written letter of endorsement from Senator Chaffee when I ran for the national presidency of the Congressionally chartered Vietnam Veterans of America. His statement on my behalf included recalling his reading a front page news story before the U.S. Senate into the Congressional Record about my Vietnam experience.
These ‘better angels’ the likes of McCain and Chaffee, must be remembered in order to instruct countless elected and those aspiring to become and remain servants of the people, where to focus.
The Monday after McCains passing, I happened to engaged a Vietnam vet helicopter door gunner. Realizing we were at opposite poles, we proceeded to talk out our difference on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. We first agreed that since taking our military induction oath a half century ago, President Trump, as with all Presidents since, are our Commanders in Chief. Secondly, the national flag belongs to all and our freedoms include to do with it as one wishes. And finally, we agreed that Colin Kaepernick’s freedom to choose draping the Stars and Stripes over his shoulders would strengthen the passion of his statement.
May the countless touched by the lesson of John McCain, now ‘step up to the plate’.
oped written and submitted to the Wall Street Journal by:
Michael Manoog Kaprielian
Providence, Rhode Island 02906-4424 U.S.A.