Two U.S. service members were attacked while stopped in the western Turkey port at Izmir.
Video is circulating on social media showing one of the service members swarmed by a group of men who placed a hood over his head after being accosted on a Turkish street.
The U.S. Embassy in Turkey confirmed that two service members were victims of an assault in Izmir and are now safe. They had been aboard the USS Wasp, which had arrived in the port city after completing a training at sea. The Izmir governor’s office told Reuters that members of the Turkey Youth Union (TBG), a youth branch of the nationalist opposition Vatan Party, ‘physically attacked’ two U.S. soldiers dressed in civilian clothes in the Konak district.
Turkish authorities have detained 15 members of Turkish Youth Group, which is an anti-American youth organization. Their rallying cries during the event sound remarkably like those hear on American college campuses.
The agency said members of the Turkish Youth Union, which is affiliated with the Patriotic Party — a small, nationalist political party without parliament seats — were detained on the orders of a prosecutor.The group posted a video of the incident on social media platform X and said they placed sacks over the heads of soldiers who had disembarked from the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp.The video shows a group of men yelling, “Yankee go home!” while restraining a man and attempting to put a sack over his head.“The U.S. soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot pollute our country,” the group said on X.
The USS Wasp had just completed joint at-sea training with the Turkish ships TCG Anadolu and TCG Gökova, and had arrived in İzmir for a regularly scheduled port visit.
The USS Wasp, one of the US Navy’s most formidable amphibious assault ships, arrived at İzmir Port on Sunday for a scheduled visit following its deployment in the eastern Mediterranean. The ship has been operating in the region as part of US efforts to deter potential threats against Israel, particularly from Hezbollah and other militant groups.The USS Wasp’s visit to Turkey follows its participation in joint naval exercises with the Turkish Navy from August 13-17, during which it conducted various training operations alongside Turkey’s TCG Anadolu, the country’s first amphibious assault ship, and the frigate TCG Gökova. These exercises, which included air defense drills and cross-deck operations, highlighted the close military collaboration between the US and Turkey, both NATO allies.This port visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, where the US has increased its naval presence to ensure regional stability and to support Israel against possible threats. The USS Wasp, along with its accompanying ships, the USS Oak Hill and the USS New York, has been positioned in the region since June as part of these deterrence efforts.
It will be interesting to see how Biden handles the developments.
It will also be interesting to see if VP Kamala Harris or President Donald Trump are asked for comments on this particular development in the upcoming debate.
Meanwhile, other Americans have suggestions for the way forward.
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