Turkey summons US envoy over bodyguards arrest warrants

Turkey's foreign ministry has called in the US ambassador to Ankara, John Bass, for talks after US authorities issued arrest warrants for a dozen official Turkish security guards involved in a brawl with protesters in Washington last month.

"It has been conveyed to the ambassador that this decision taken by US authorities is wrong, biased and lacks legal basis," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, blaming local authorities for failing to take proper security measures with regards to the "so-called protesters".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the decision on Thursday. Speaking at a dinner to break the Ramadan fast in Ankara, Erdogan asked: "What kind of a law is this?"

Referring to his security detail, he said, "If they are not going to protect me, why would I bring them with me to America?"

Erdogan said the protesters were members of an outlawed armed Kurdish group and the US police failed to act.

He vowed to fight the decision on legal and political grounds.

Referring to his security detail, he said, "If they are not going to protect me, why would I bring them with me to America?"