Dueling protest in US capital on Turkish terror attacks
Mixed group stand in unity against recent terror attacks in Turkey
WASHINGTON
Pro and anti-Turkish protests were staged in Washington Friday, just days after Turkey was hit by terror attacks.
A group of Turks and Syrians held a rally following a deadly suicide bombing in Turkey's southeastern city of Suruc that killed 32 victims Monday.
Two policemen were killed in retaliation on Wednesday. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for that attack.
Outside of the Turkish embassy in Washington, Meskhetian Turks and Syrian-Americans stood in solidarity against the attacks, shouting slogans in Turkish and English such as "Turks Kurds are brothers, PKK is betrayer" and "Terrorist PKK".
Syrian-Americans held up pictures of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and also displayed a huge Turkish flag hanged on the gates of the Turkish Embassy.
Turkey has spent more than $6 billion to house more than 2 million Syrian refugees since fighting broke out in 2011.
While the group joined in unity against the attacks, just a few feet away another group conducted its own counter demonstration.
A smaller group of protesters held up the flags of the Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party while shouting anti-Turkey slogans.
Ibrahim Uyar, who heads the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association said his organization condemned all terror attacks "without differentiating any racial, religious, political view or party".
The Assembly of Turkish American Associations, which helped organize Friday’s rally, said besides Turks, nine different associations attended the protest.
The director of government relations at the Syrian American Council, Mohammed Ghanem, told Anadolu Agency that his group was there to support the Turkish government and its people.
"We are here to thank Turkey and are extremely grateful for hosting millions of Syrian refugees," Ghanem said.
"You [Turkey] have done more than any other country on earth to help their neighbors what they are applied (...) God bless you and we will always be out there for you," he said.
