Erdogan condemns White House dinner shooting, calls for democracy without violence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a strong condemnation on Sunday following the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington. “It is reassuring for us that no one was injured, especially US President Donald Trump and his esteemed wife Melania Trump,” Erdogan said in a post on Turkish social media platform NSosyal. He stressed that in democracies, political struggles must be conducted through ideas, adding that “there is no place for any form of violence.” Erdogan extended his get-well wishes to President Trump, his wife, the US administration, and the American people.

Details of the attack

The attack took place on Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the annual dinner was being held. A suspect identified by US media as a 31-year-old man is in custody, and authorities are investigating his motives. A Secret Service officer was shot but protected by a bulletproof vest and is recovering, according to officials. President Trump later described the attacker as having “a lot of hatred in his heart,” driven by anti-Christian sentiment.

Türkiye’s position on political violence

For Türkiye, which has itself experienced assassination attempts and political violence, Erdogan’s message reinforces Ankara’s longstanding position that democracies must reject violence as a political tool. Turkish officials have frequently called for international cooperation to prevent attacks on democratically elected leaders. The condemnation also reflects the close security cooperation between Türkiye and the US, both NATO allies facing similar threats from lone-wolf attackers and organized extremist groups.