Sen. John McCain John McCainOvernight Cybersecurity: US heard Russian intel talk about targeting Clinton | Senators briefed on Russia probe | Trump leaning toward Lieberman for FBI Trump's nonsensical defense budget just adds to government waste GOP senators praise Lieberman for FBI director MORE (R-Ariz.) said early Thursday that he would advocate for the removal of the Turkish ambassador to the U.S. following a clash between Turkish guards and protesters in Washington, D.C.
"I'd throw the Turkish ambassador out," the lawmaker said during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
McCain's comments come in the wake of a violent scuffle between the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's bodyguards and protestors this week that left nine people injured.
Two people were arrested in the clash, which occurred outside of the Turkish ambassador's residence.
On Wednesday, McCain condemned Turkish authorities, stating that there is "no excuse" for their "thuggish" behavior.
"This is the United States of America. We do not do this here. There is no excuse for this kind of thuggish behavior," he tweeted.
Queen_Starsha on May 18th, 2017 at 14:14 UTC »
McCain is half way right. The Turkish ambassador should have been called in the very next day to explain his embassy's lack of control over the bodyguards as well as to be told that a full investigation and prosecution would be taking place and that if anything like this ever happened again, the Turkish Embassy and Consulates would face severe repercussions.
Now, it'll be tit-for-tat in Turkey, but until someone smacks down Erdogan's goons good and hard, he's going to keep letting them off the leash.
RadBadTad on May 18th, 2017 at 14:00 UTC »
"Well, I'd talk about it, and make a big deal about it, but then when it came to be time to actually act on it, I would probably get in line and be nice to him."
W_I_Water on May 18th, 2017 at 13:38 UTC »
I'm not a big fan of expelling ambassadors in general, but ambassadors have been expelled for less serious breaches of diplomacy, if the assailants are proven to be embassy staff.
The 1961 Vienna Treaty on Diplomatic Relations, which codifies concepts such as diplomatic immunity and the inviolability of embassies Article 9 states; "The receiving state may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending state that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending state shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission."