US Soldiers Assaulted By Turkish Mob After Navy Ship Makes Port Call At Izmir

On Monday a mob of Turkish men attacked American soldiers who had been walking the streets of Izmir in southern Turkey, apparently as the US personnel were on liberty after the USS Wasp which they are attached to made port call.

Social media video shows a group of men surrounding one US soldier and while violently constraining him. The Turkish men then stick a white bag over his head in an effort to humiliate and possibly kidnap the American and those with him. The brief clip then shows a couple more US troops jumping in to push the Turkish men off their fellow soldier.

Reuters has confirmed of the incident, "A nationalist Turkish youth group on Monday physically assaulted two U.S. soldiers in western Turkey, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey and the local governor's office said, adding that 15 assailants had been detained over the incident."

The same report says that a total of five other US soldiers quickly came to their fellow servicemember's aid to fight off the attackers, after which local police quickly intervened.

The US Embassy in Turkey has subsequently confirmed the American personnel are safe after the incident, "We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in Izmir today, and are now safe," it said on X. There was no mention of injuries.

The Izmir governor's office identified that the attackers were part of an ultra-nationalist group called the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), which is associated with the opposition Vatan Party. The statement said that the Turkish group "physically attacked" two American soldiers who were in civilian clothes in the Konak district.

The assaulting group reportedly chanted "Yankee, go home!" while detaining at least one of the Americans. It all happened in broad daylight.

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