The Turkish authorities have arrested 15 suspects following an attack on two US Marines by a nationalist youth group in Izmir, the local governorship announced yesterday.
The attackers, identified as members of the Turkiye Youth Union (TGB), an anti-American organisation linked to the Patriotic Party, were detained after a video circulated online showing them assaulting the marines and placing sacks over their heads while shouting, “Yankee, go home!”
The incident occurred after the USS Wasp docked in Izmir on Sunday, following a joint exercise with Turkish Naval Forces. During the attack, five additional US soldiers intervened before police arrived. The US Embassy in Turkiye confirmed the attack via social media, stating that the two marines were safe.
“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,” it said in a post on X.
🇹🇷 "Yankee, Go Home!!"
Protesters have begun marching in Türkiye, shouting for Americans to go home. These marches come shortly after videos surfaced of American service members being harassed by Turkish civilians.
There are several US Military Bases in Türkiye, four major… pic.twitter.com/wjw5DC4MrG
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) September 3, 2024
The White House expressed concern over the assault but acknowledged the swift response of the authorities in its NATO ally. “We are appreciative that Turkish police are taking this matter seriously and holding those responsible accountable,” said a spokesperson.
The TGB has a history of staging such protests, including similar assaults on US military personnel in Bodrum in 2011 and Iskenderun in 2013, where sacks were also placed over the heads of US soldiers, a symbolic act of anti-American sentiment in the country.
According to Turkiye Today, the gesture refers to the “Hood event” of 4 July, 2003, when US troops detained Turkish Special Forces in Sulaymaniyah, Northern Iraq, and placed hoods over their heads.
READ: Iraq shot down Turkiye military drone over Kirkuk, sources say
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