Two US soldiers were physically assaulted in western Turkey on Monday by members of a nationalist Turkish youth group, according to statements from the US Embassy in Turkey and the local governor’s office, as reported by Reuters.
The incident occurred in the Konak district of Izmir, and all 15 attackers have been detained, officials confirmed.
The Izmir governor’s office reported that the assailants were members of the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), the youth wing of the nationalist opposition Vatan Party.
The office said that five additional US soldiers intervened upon witnessing the attack, prompting the police to step in. An investigation into the assault has been initiated.
The US Embassy in Turkey confirmed the incident, and said, “We can confirm reports that US service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in Izmir today and are now safe,” through the social media platform X.
Earlier, the TGB had posted a video on X showing a group holding down a man and placing a white hood over his head while chanting slogans.
The group claimed that the individual was a soldier from the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship currently on a port visit to Izmir, as previously announced by the US Embassy in Ankara.
The TGB declared, “US soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot dirty our country. Every time you step foot in these lands, we will meet you the way you deserve.”
More Stories
Indian man gets life imprisonment for murdering teenage wife in London
Indian student who had gone missing in US university confirmed dead
Autopsy of Pune-based realtor who died after his wife punched him on nose shows head trauma, say police