The group behind the incident said American troops have “Palestinian blood” on their hands
Members of a nationalist youth organization have attacked two US Marines in the Turkish city of Izmir on Monday. The service members disembarked from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, which arrived earlier that day during its deployment in the Mediterranean Sea.
A video of the altercation shows a group of men holding down a plain-clothed Marine, with one of the assailants putting a white sack over his head. The mob reportedly yelled “Yankee, go home!” when attacking the servicemen.
According to the Izmir governor’s office, security forces “quickly intervened in the incident,” detaining 15 suspects.
“The two Marines were aided by other Marines in the area and were subsequently taken to a local hospital for evaluation as a precaution but were not injured and have returned to the USS Wasp,” said Commander Timothy Gorman, a spokesman for US Naval Forces Europe-Africa.
The US Embassy released a statement, saying that Americans “are now safe.” The diplomats thanked the Turkish authorities for “their rapid response and ongoing investigation.”
Türkiye Gençlik Birliği, izmir Limanı’na demirlenen ABD savaş gemisi Uss Wasp’ta görevli ABD askerine çuval geçirdi.
