Two U.S. Marines from the USS Wasp were attacked Monday during a port visit in Izmir, Turkey, according to a Navy spokesperson.
Video of the apparent incident shows a group of men forcing a bag over the head of one of the Marines as they restrain him, chanting “Yankee go home.”
CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams said the men appeared to be members of the Turkish Youth Union — a small, nationalist, anti-American organization.
The group posted the video online, writing: “U.S. soldiers who have the blood of thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot defile our country.”
Turkey is a key American ally in the Middle East and a member of the transatlantic NATO alliance.
The Marines, part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, were “on liberty” at the time of the incident and taken to a local hospital for evaluation as a precaution, said U.S. Navy Cmdr.
“Local Izmir police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are cooperating in an investigation of the incident,” Gorman said.
“No Marines have been detained by authorities and those involved are cooperating with investigators.”
The USS Wasp is part of a marine expeditionary unit on a routine deployment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit recently completed a bilateral training exercise with Turkey in the region.
Two U.S. S. A Navy spokesman said that on Monday while on a port call in Izmir, Turkey, Marines from the USS Wasp were attacked. In the video footage of the alleged incident, some men can be heard yelling, “Yankee go home,” as they force a bag over the head of a Marine being restrained. “.”.
The men seemed to be affiliated with the Turkish Youth Union, a small, nationalist, anti-American group, according to Holly Williams, senior foreign correspondent for CBS News. Following the video’s online release, the group wrote: “U. S. Our nation cannot be tarnished by soldiers who have shed thousands of Palestinian lives. ****.
Williams, a longtime resident and journalist in Turkey, claimed that Americans were treated kindly there overall and that 15 persons had been detained by Turkish authorities in relation to the attack.
Turkey is a transatlantic member of NATO and a vital American ally in the Middle East.
As a precaution, the Marines, who were assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, were taken to a nearby hospital for assessment while they were “on liberty,” according to U.S. s. The Navy Commander. Timothy Gorman, U.S. s. The spokesperson for the Sixth Fleet. The Marines arrived back on board later on Monday.
According to Gorman, “the incident is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and local Izmir police.”. “Those engaged are assisting investigators, and no Marines have been taken into custody by the government. “.
A marine expeditionary unit, including the USS Wasp, is regularly deployed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. After a bilateral training exercise in the region with Turkey, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is back.
