Fight Outside Turkish Embassy Leads To Guilty Plea For McLean Man

MCLEAN, VA—A McLean man has pleaded guilty to a charge relating to a street fight outside the Turkish Embassy in DC back in May. Sinan Narin, 45, of McLean, was one of two pleading guilty to an assault charge.

Protesters had showed up outside the embassy during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit with President Trump at the White House on May 16. Eleven people were injured after a fight broke out between the Turkish security detail and protesters.

The incident put a strain on U.S. and Turkish relations after video footage showed Erdogan's bodyguards showed punching and kicking protesters right in front of D.C. police officers. Meanwhile, Narin, who was a limousine driver and not part of Turkish security, was filmed kicking a protester that ended up with a concussion, according to Reuters.

Erdogan later apologized in an interview with PBS but blamed the protesters for provoking the guards by "insulting us" and "screaming and shouting," he said in the interview. Trump met with the Turkish president again in September at the United Nations, calling him a friend despite the tensions surrounding the brawl.

The other man facing sentencing is Eyup Yildirim, 50, of Manchester, N.J. Both will be sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia March 15, 2018, Reuters reported. Federal prosecutors have also charged a dozen Turkish security and police officers with assault earlier this year.

Pictures of people facing criminal charges are seen after a news conference in Washington, Thursday, June 15, 2017, about an May 16, 2017, altercation outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington during the visit of the Turkish president. Police say they've issued arrest warrants for a dozen Turkish security agents and two others accused of taking part in a violent altercation May 16 as Turkey's president visited Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)