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Attack on US Marines in Izmir
Izmir, Turkey, September 2, 2024 — Two U.S. Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp were attacked during a port visit to Izmir, Turkey. The incident occurred on Monday when a group of men, believed to be from the anti-American nationalist organization the Turkish Youth Union, attacked the Marines. In a video released by the attackers, they can be seen pulling a bag over the head of one of the Marines while chanting “Yankee, go home.”
The attitude of the Turkish Youth Union
CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams said the Turkish Youth Union is a small nationalist group that actively expresses anti-American sentiment. The video they posted online was accompanied by the text: “US soldiers, with the blood of thousands of Palestinians on their hands, cannot defile our country.”
The reaction of the Turkish authorities
Williams noted that while Turkey is generally good toward Americans, Turkish authorities have already detained 15 people in connection with the attack. Turkey is a key US ally in the Middle East and a member of NATO. The Marines, part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Force, were “at large” at the time of the incident and were taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation as a precaution. They returned to their ship later on Monday.
Follow-up and investigation
U.S. Sixth Fleet spokesman Timothy Gorman said local Izmir police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are cooperating in the investigation of the incident. “Authorities have not detained any Marines, and the individuals involved are cooperating with the investigation,” Gorman said.
The USS Wasp is part of a Marine Expeditionary Unit that regularly deploys to the eastern Mediterranean. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit recently completed bilateral exercises with Turkey in the region.
