Attack on US soldiers in Turkey, 15 detained
Officials confirmed Monday that 15 people were detained in Turkey after two American soldiers were physically assaulted.
Ankara: A far-right Turkish youth group physically attacked two American soldiers on Monday in the streets of Izmir, Turkey – a NATO ally of the United States, the local governor's office confirmed, and 15 people involved in the attack have been detained. Those detained are members of the Youth Union of Turkey (TGB).
He officially claimed responsibility for the physical attack by sharing a video of the incident on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We killed US soldiers serving on the USS Wasp, America's largest assault ship. American soldiers carrying the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians cannot desecrate our country. We will welcome you every time you step into this country.
The US embassy confirmed the attack on Monday and said the soldiers were now safe. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), it said, “We can confirm reports that US service members aboard the USS Wasp were victims of an attack in Izmir today and are now safe. We thank the Turkish authorities for their quick response and ongoing investigation.”
We confirm that the USS Wasp's USS military personnel were attacked today in Ä°zmir and that they are safe. Thank you to the Turkish authorities for their quick response and investigation.
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We can confirm reports that…
— US Embassy Turkey (@USEmbassyTurkey) 2 September 2024
Members of the TGB, the youth wing of the nationalist opposition Vatan Party, “physically assaulted” two US soldiers in civilian clothes in the Konak district, Turkish media reported, citing a statement from the Izmir governor's office.
Seeing the incident, five American soldiers joined in and the police intervened. All 15 assailants have been detained and an investigation into the matter has been started.
(with IANS input)