WASHINGTON—At least two Toronto men were involved in a violent confrontation in Washington, D.C. last week that was described by the local police chief as a “brutal attack on peaceful protesters.”

Toronto residents Alpkenan Dereci and Ahmet Dereci, enthusiastic supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are seen on video joining Erdogan’s security team in striking protesters near the residence of Turkey’s U.S. ambassador.

Videos published by the New York Times and other media show that Alpkenan Dereci punched and shoved a protester. They show that the man identified by the Times as Ahmet Dereci punched a protester and then kicked him twice when he was lying defenceless on the ground.

The Derecis have not been arrested or charged with any offence. Alpkenan Dereci told a Turkish news agency that they were victims of assault, not perpetrators.

Alpkenan Dereci was also on the receiving end of violence during the melee; videos show he was struck in the face by a bullhorn tossed at him after he landed a punch near the head of a protester. His face and shirt were bloodied, and he told a Turkish news agency that he required 17 stitches.

People on the pro-Erdogan side were the “real victims” and were “openly assaulted,” Alpkenan Dereci said in a video published by the Andalou Agency. The media, he said, had failed to show that Erdogan’s supporters were themselves attacked.

“We cannot understand this,” he said.

The melee quickly turned into an international incident. Critics and even supporters of President Donald Trump, who had met with Erdogan earlier in the day, have demanded a forceful diplomatic response from his administration.

A spokesperson for the Washington police said Friday that “the investigation remains active.” The probe is being conducted by the police, the State Department and Secret Service.

Though Erdogan’s security team committed much of the violence, the civilians not employed by his government are more vulnerable to legal consequences: Erdogan bodyguards are likely protected by diplomatic immunity.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the confrontation a “violent attack on a peaceful demonstration.” Republican Sen. John McCain said there is “no excuse for this kind of thuggish behaviour” and called for the expulsion of the Turkish ambassador. A bipartisan group of senators called on the State Department to revoke the ambassador’s credentials if Turkey did not waive immunity for the people involved.

The Turkish government, meanwhile, summoned the U.S. ambassador to complain about the actions of Washington police officers.

Turkey said its side acted in “self-defence,” but multiple videos contradict this claim at least in part. They show Erdogan’s security team pushing past police officers to punch, kick and, in one case, choke protesters who were not posing a threat.

The Derecis were described by the Times as cousins; the Star could not confirm this. They are highly visible in videos of the clash on account of their T-shirts: Alpkenan in yellow and Ahmet in purple. At one point, Alpkenan, his face and shirt bloody, holds back Ahmet, who is shouting at a police officer.

Two people were arrested at the scene, one for aggravated assault and one for assault on a police officer. At least 10 people were injured.

Alpkenan Dereci could not be reached for comment through Facebook and Twitter. Ahmet Dereci, whose Facebook and LinkedIn pages say he owns an electrical contracting company in North York, declined to respond to a request for comment.

“I don’t believe he’s able to talk, or he’s not going to return any calls or emails at the moment,” said a man who answered the phone at the company.

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The Derecis are vocal supporters of Erdogan on their Facebook pages and in Toronto, where they have attended pro-Erdogan events. The Turkish media reported that they were part of a group that travelled from Canada to greet Erdogan in Washington; Alpkenan Dereci said he had previously travelled to Cuba for an Erdogan trip there.

“We love him very much and we would like to visit him and talk to him during his visits,” he said.

The Washington incident occurred after Erdogan met with Trump at the White House. Erdogan, who has been criticized in Turkey and abroad for his crackdown on dissenters at home, was sitting in his car in front of the residence when his security team began chasing after the protesters standing across the street.

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