The DC police are expected to say that seven men are being charged for felonies, and another five for misdemeanors.
The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and spoke only on condition of anonymity ahead of a news conference, set to take place today, that includes Washington's mayor and police chief.
The action is likely to exacerbate what has become a major irritant in US-Turkish ties. Relations were severely strained even before the May 16 clash, which happened as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived at the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.
Erdogan's security detail returned with him to Turkey after his visit, so it is unclear if any will face legal repercussions in the United States. However, they could end up being threatened with arrest if they return to the US If any are still in the country, they could be expelled if Turkey refuses to waive diplomatic immunity.
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After police officers struggled to protect the protesters and ordered the men in suits to retreat, several of the men dodged the officers and ran into the park to continue the attacks. In all, nine people were hurt.
The Metropolitan Police Department said in a brief statement that Sinan Narin had been arrested in Virginia on an aggravated assault charge. It said Eyup Yildirim had been arrested in New Jersey on charges of assault with significant bodily injury and aggravated assault.
Yildirim made his first appearance before Federal Magistrate James Clarke in Newark, NJ, who ordered him held without bail pending his next court date in Washington.
Public defender David Holman sought home confinement, arguing that Yildirim wasn't a flight risk and had never been convicted of anything before. Clarke said he was less concerned with him being a possible flight risk and more concerned about the nature of the crime.
Prosecutors told the judge Yildirim had been arrested twice in the late 90s on simple assault charges, but the charges were later dismissed.
Narin and Yildirim were both participants in the protests, according to a US official familiar with the case. On the day of the violence, police detained two members of Erdogan's security detail but released them shortly afterward.
Two other men were arrested at the scene -- one for aggravated assault and the other for assaulting a police officer.
American officials strongly criticized Turkey's government and Erdogan's security forces for the violence; the State Department summoned Turkey's US ambassador to complain.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry then summoned America's ambassador to address about the treatment of the detained security guards.
Turkey's official Anadolu news agency said they chanted anti-Erdogan slogans, and that the Turkish president's team moved in to disperse them because "police did not heed to Turkish demands to intervene." The Turkish Embassy claimed the demonstrators were "aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president.
The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense and one of them was seriously injured.
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