President Recep Tayyip Erdogan known as the attacker, who attacked the constructing of the Turkish diplomatic mission with a crowbar, a “terrorist”.
US police have detained a person accused of mob attacking Turkey’s diplomatic headquarters in New York and breaking its home windows, regulation enforcement officers stated.
Friday’s arrest got here amid condemnation from US and Turkish officers. Earlier this week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged US authorities to search out the perpetrator, calling him a “terrorist.”
The NYPD recognized the suspect within the Al Jazeera e-mail as 29-year-old Recep Akbiik. He faces a number of costs, together with tried housebreaking, unlawful possession of weapons, terrorist threats, prison mischief and threats, a police spokesman stated.
Turkish information shops beforehand reported that Akbiik is a Turkish citizen who left Turkey a 12 months in the past. His motives stay unclear.
Footage launched by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Company exhibits a person wearing black and carrying a hat smashing the glass facade of a constructing with a crowbar early Monday morning.
The ability, a skyscraper close to the headquarters of the United Nations in Manhattan, is named the Turkish Home. It homes the Turkish consulate within the metropolis and its mission to the UN.
The assault happened virtually every week earlier than the second spherical of the Turkish presidential election between Erdogan and opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Turkish expatriates in New York voted within the Turkish Chamber elections this week. Voting in Turkey will happen on Sunday. Erdogan took first place within the first spherical of voting earlier this month, however didn’t safe the bulk wanted to win outright.
Politicians present help
In response to the assault, New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams visited the Turkish Home on Monday and met with Turkish diplomats within the metropolis.
Turkish Overseas Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu additionally known as the incident a “heinous assault” on Monday.
“We count on the USA to instantly establish the perpetrators and supply the mandatory safety to make sure the safety of our diplomatic missions. My ideas are with my colleagues working tirelessly abroad for Turkey, together with throughout this election interval,” he tweeted earlier this week, utilizing the Turkish authorities’s official spelling for Turkey.
The US State Division stated its Diplomatic Safety Service is working with native regulation enforcement to research. “We condemn vandalism,” spokesman Matthew Miller instructed reporters.
Jeff Flake, the US ambassador to Turkey, additionally condemned the assault.
We condemn Monday’s vandalism of the Turkish Home in New York. We’re working with native regulation enforcement to research and defend the safety of those amenities and the diplomats who work there.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) Could 22, 2023
The US and Turkey are NATO allies, however tensions have arisen between the 2 international locations lately, together with over Washington’s help for Kurdish teams in Syria.
Amid Russia’s battle with Ukraine, Turkey helped dealer a deal to proceed Ukrainian grain exports, and US officers commonly pressured the significance of their alliance with Turkey.
