BREAKING: Two U.S. Navy Servicemen Assaulted and Abducted After Disembarking in Izmir, Turkey — Attackers Yell “Yankee Go Home” and Place Sack Over Victim’s Head
Guest Post by Miriam Judith
U.S. Navy personnel were violently assaulted by a nationalist youth group after disembarking the USS Wasp in Izmir, Turkey.
Videos of the incident circulated online showing members of the group attempting to abduct two American Sailors as the crowd surrounding them shouts “Yankees Go Home!”
Another angle shows one individual getting a bag thrown over their head.
Watch:
NEW: Two U.S. servicemen from the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, assaulted in Izmir, Turkey.
A group of men were heard yelling “Yankee go home” as they assaulted one of the Americans and put a sack over his head.
The men responsible for the attack were members of… pic.twitter.com/yyIZ2e2Sag
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 2, 2024
The group shared the footage on X, captioning it with: “U.S. soldiers, who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands, cannot defile our country. Every time you step into these lands, we will welcome you as you deserve!”
ABD’NİN EN BÜYÜK TAARRUZ GEMİSİ USS WASP’TA GÖREVLİ ABD ASKERLERİNE ÇUVAL GEÇİRDİK!
Mehmetçiğimizin ve binlerce Filistinlinin kanını elinde taşıyan ABD askerleri ülkemizi kirletemez.
Bu topraklara her adım attığınızda sizi hak ettiğiniz gibi karşılayacağız!
@USEmbassyTurkey… pic.twitter.com/Brzr6KZP8m— TGB (@genclikbirligi) September 2, 2024
The U.S. Embassy in Turkey confirmed the incident in a post on X earlier today. Thankfully, the sailors were safely recovered quickly after the attack unfolded.
We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in İzmir today and are now safe. We thank Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation,” the U.S. Embassy in Turkey said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
USS Wasp’te görevli ABD’li askeri personelin bugün İzmir’de saldırıya maruz kaldığını ve şu an güvende olduğunu teyit ederiz. Olaya hızlı müdahale etmelerinden ve olayla ilgili soruşturma başlatmalarından dolayı Türk makamlarına teşekkür ederiz.
//
We can confirm reports that…
— U.S. Embassy Türkiye (@USEmbassyTurkey) September 2, 2024
According to Reuters, authorities have detained 15 members of the anti-American youth group responsible for the assault.
From Reuters:
“Turkish authorities on Monday detained 15 members of an anti-American youth organization who physically assaulted two U.S. military personnel in the city of Izmir, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The agency said members of the Turkish Youth Union, which is affiliated with the Patriotic Party — a small, nationalist political party without parliament seats — were detained on the orders of a prosecutor.”
As global tensions rise amid ongoing conflicts, such incidents only serve to exacerbate the strained relations between the U.S. military and various factions around the world. Unfortunately, four years of weak incompetence by Biden has emboldened and enabled incidents like this to happen.
