Fifteen people were arrested for having “physically assaulted” two American servicemen from the aircraft carrier USS Wasp in Izmir, on the west coast of Turkey, the prefecture announced on Monday.
“Two American soldiers in civilian clothes were physically attacked by a group of fifteen people, members of the Youth Union of Turkey (TGB)”the prefecture said in a statement, adding that the “fifteen suspects were arrested” by law enforcement. The soldiers are part of the personnel of the American aircraft carrier USS Wasp, which has been visiting Izmir since September 1.
“We can confirm reports that US service members from the USS Wasp were attacked in Izmir today and are now safe. We thank the Turkish authorities for their swift response and ongoing investigation.”the US Embassy in Türkiye said on X.
The aggression claimed
The Youth Union of Türkiye (TGB) claimed responsibility for the attack with a video shared on its X account. “We put a bag over the heads of the American soldiers of the USS Wasp (…) American soldiers who carry on their hands the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians cannot defile our country”the nationalist group said. In the video, several people are seen forcibly putting a bag over the head of a person dressed in civilian clothes as they chant «Yankee go home!».
In mid-August, the USS Wasp carried out maneuvers with Turkish military ships in the Mediterranean, with Turkish media close to the opposition seeing this as a deployment of support for Israel. The Turkish Defense Ministry rejected this criticism, assuring that these were maneuvers. “routine”.
