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- 2 U.S. Marines attacked in Turkey, Navy says (newsbreak.com)
During a port stop in Izmir, Turkey, two U.S. Marines from the USS Wasp were assaulted, as confirmed by a Navy spokesperson.
A video capturing the incident depicts several individuals placing a bag over the head of one Marine and restraining him while shouting “Yankee go home.” According to CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams, the attackers seem to be associated with the Turkish Youth Union, a nationalistic and anti-American group.
This organization also took responsibility for the attack in an online post, accusing the U.S. soldiers of crimes against Palestinians and insisting they should not “defile our country.”
Williams, who has extensive experience reporting from Turkey, noted that, generally, Americans receive good treatment in Turkey. Following the assault, Turkish officials detained 15 suspects involved in the incident.
Turkey remains a crucial ally to the United States in the Middle East and is a NATO member.
The assaulted Marines, who were part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and were off-duty at the time, were briefly hospitalized for a precautionary evaluation and later returned to their ship. Timothy Gorman, U.S.
Navy Cmdr. and spokesperson for the U.S. Sixth Fleet, stated that local police in Izmir and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are collaborating on the investigation.
He confirmed that no Marines were detained, and those involved were cooperating with the inquiry.
The USS Wasp, engaged in routine operations in the Eastern Mediterranean, had recently concluded joint training exercises with Turkey in the area.
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- 2 U.S. Marines attacked in Turkey, Navy says (newsbreak.com)