2 US soldiers attacked in Turkish port city; 15 detained

Izmir provincial authorities said in a statement that the American soldiers were “physically attacked” by 13 men and two women, all members of the Youth Union of Turkey, a nationalist youth organization with anti-American and anti-European views.

Fifteen suspects were detained by local authorities, Izmir said, while five more U.S. soldiers who witnessed the incident tried to intervene. He added that an investigation into the incident had been launched.

The US Embassy in Turkey confirmed the attack in a statement, saying the American soldiers arrived in the country aboard the USS Wasp.

The attacked soldiers are now “safe”, the embassy said, thanking the Turkish authorities “for their quick response and the ongoing investigation”.

An X account linked to the Turkish Youth Union website posted an edited video of the attack, which shows American soldiers shouting for help as they are detained by several men.

At one point in the short clip, men can be seen trying to pull bags over the heads of the Americans as members of the crowd chant “Yankee, go home!” The attack appears to be a reference to a 2003 incident during the Iraq War when U.S. troops detained Turkish soldiers whose heads they covered with bags, sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries.

“No one will be able to respond to the cries for help from US soldiers,” reads the caption under the video posted on the Turkish Youth Union X account. “Your hands are stained with the blood of our brave soldiers and thousands of Palestinians.”

The attack ship USS Wasp was sent to the eastern Mediterranean in late June to act as a military deterrent amid an escalating conflict between Israel and the Iranian-aligned Hamas militia.

According to the U.S. Defense Department, the USS Wasp arrived in Izmir on Sunday as part of a regular port visit.