The U.S. government has frozen arms sales to the bodyguards of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after his aides attacked demonstrators in Washington last May, two senators confirmed Monday.
Senators Patrick Leahy and Chris Van Hollen said the move came after they proposed their own legislation to halt any sales to the Turkish Presidential Protection Directorate, AFP reported.
The move would block a deal by New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer to sell $1.2 million worth of small arms to the bodyguard unit behind the May 16 assault on anti-Erdogan protesters during a presidential visit to Washington.
"This sale to President Erdoğan's personal security guards should never have been approved, given their history of excessive force," Leahy and Van Hollen said in a statement. "We should also stop selling weapons to units of the Turkish National Police that have been arbitrarily arresting and abusing Turkish citizens who peacefully criticize the government."
Nineteen members of Erdogan's security detail have been indicted over the daylight attack in front of the Turkish ambassador's residence that saw several demonstrators sent to the hospital for serious injuries.
Two Turkish-Americans were arrested and pleaded innocent to assault charges on September 7. The others, including 15 Turkish nationals and two Turkish-Canadians, remain at large outside the United States.
