Two Toronto men who clashed violently with protesters during Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to the White House sought refugee status in Canada more than a decade ago, but were rejected.
Cousins Alpkenan and Ahmet Dereci travelled to Washington, D.C. from Toronto in May, according to the New York Times, when Erdogan met with U.S. President Donald Trump. Outside of the Turkish ambassador’s residence, Erdogan’s security forces attacked a group of demonstrators protesting the president’s policies, including his treatment of Kurds and Armenians. A number of civilian Erdogan supporters were involved in the clash, as well.
Read the full article here: https://www.macleans.ca/politics/pro-erdogan-muscle-against-d-c-protesters-came-from-canada/