ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish authorities on Monday detained 15 members of an anti-American youth group who bodily assaulted two U.S. navy personnel within the metropolis of Izmir, the state-run Anadolu information company reported.
The company mentioned members of the Turkish Youth Union, which is affiliated with the Patriotic Occasion — a small, nationalist political get together with out parliament seats — have been detained on the orders of a prosecutor.
The U.S. Embassy confirmed the incident, saying service members on board the Wasp have been “now protected.”
“We’re troubled by this assault on U.S. service members and are appreciative that Turkish police are taking this matter severely and holding these accountable accountable,” Nationwide Safety Council spokesman Sean Savett mentioned.
The group posted a video of the incident on social media platform X, linked right here, although the video has not but been confirmed. The group mentioned they positioned sacks over the heads of troops who had disembarked from the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship Wasp.
The video exhibits a bunch of males yelling, “Yankee go dwelling!” whereas restraining a person and making an attempt to place a sack over his head.
“The U.S. troopers who carry the blood of our troopers and hundreds of Palestinians on their palms can’t pollute our nation,” the group mentioned on X.
The Wasp arrived in Izmir on Sunday after conducting joint coaching with Turkish assault ships within the Mediterranean.
