On Monday, two US Marines were attacked by a Turkish nationalist youth group in the Turkish port of Izmir in an incident partially motivated by US support for the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians.
The two Marines were wearing civilian clothes and arrived in the city onboard the USS Wasp, a US Navy amphibious assault ship. Turkish authorities responded to the attack and arrested 15 suspected assailants.
“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,” the US Embassy in Turkey wrote on X. “We thank Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation.”
The 15 who were arrested were all members of the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), an offshoot of the nationalist Vatan Party. “No one will be able to respond to the cries for help from US soldiers,” TGB wrote on X in a post that included a video that showed part of the attack.
“Your hands are stained with the blood of our brave soldiers and thousands of Palestinians. You will leave our lands!” the post added.
The video shows a man in civilian clothing being attacked by a group of assailants who place a hood over his head. Another man is seen shouting in the video referencing Sulaymaniyah, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan where, in 2003, US troops detained a group of Turkish soldiers and placed hoods over their heads.
The incident took place after the USS Wasp conducted drills with the Turkish military, which drew criticism from opposition-linked media since the US warship is seen as part of a deployment to support Israel. Anti-American sentiment is on the rise in the region due to the full-throated support for the genocidal campaign in Gaza and Israeli escalations in other countries.
