Turkey announced that they have detained 15 individuals involved in a physical assault on two U.S. Navy sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Wasp in the coastal city of Izmir.
According to a statement from the Izmir Governor’s Office, the two American sailors, who were off duty and dressed in civilian clothing, were attacked by a group of 15 members of the Youth Union of Turkey
The local police swiftly apprehended all 15 suspects. The U.S. sailors are part of the crew of the USS Wasp, which has been docked in Izmir since September 1.
The U.S. Embassy in Turkey confirmed the incident on its platform, stating, “We can confirm reports that two U.S. sailors from the crew of the USS Wasp were attacked in Izmir.
Both sailors are safe, and we appreciate the swift response of Turkish authorities. The investigation is ongoing.”
The Turkish Youth Union (TGB), the youth wing of the nationalist opposition party Vatan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a video posted on their social media account.
In the video, the group stated, “We placed a bag over the heads of the American soldiers from the USS Wasp. American soldiers, whose hands are stained with the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians, cannot desecrate our country.”
The video footage shows several men forcefully placing a bag over the head of a young man in civilian clothing while chanting, “Yankees, go home!”
The incident comes shortly after the USS Wasp conducted joint military exercises with Turkish naval vessels in the Mediterranean Sea in mid-August.
Turkish media outlets close to the opposition framed these drills as support for Israel, but the Turkish Ministry of Defense dismissed the criticism, labelling the exercises as “routine,” according to AFP.
