US prosecutors say a total of 19 people have been indicted by a grand jury.
ADVERTISEMENTA further three people have been indicted in the United States in connection with a brawl in Washington between protesters and security personnel in May.
US prosecutors say a total of 19 people have now been indicted by a grand jury. 15 are Turkish security officials.
Are there any the details on charges?
Yes. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia says in a statement that charges have already been brought against 16 of the defendants. Tuesday’s indictment added three to the list.
They have been named as Muhsin Kose, Yusuf Ayar and Harretin Eren. They are among the 15 Turkish officials indicted. The statement does not specify the others in the list.
“All 19 defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, with a bias crime enhancement,” the statement said.
The charge is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison and bias enhancement could lead to longer sentences.
Some defendants face additional charges.
Only two of the 19 are in custody. They are due to appear in court on September 7, the statement.
What happened in May?
11 people were hurt in what Washington’s police chief described as a “brutal attack” on peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence during Erdogan’s visit to the US.
The incident, which happened just after Erdogan met with President Donald at the White House, put further stress on the already-strained US-Turkey relations.
What started the violence?
The Turkish Embassy has blamed the violence on demonstrators linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which Turkey and the US consider a terrorist group.