Two US Marines attacked by youth nationalist group during Turkey port visit

Two US Marines were attacked on Monday during a port visit in Turkey by a large group of nationalists, with one of the attackers placing a plastic bag over one of the Marines’ heads during the attack.

Video of the incident in the port city of Izmir showed a group of around 15 people restraining the two Marines away from each other. One person slipped a plastic bag over the head of one of the Marines. The group chanted "Yankee go home" as he attempted to break free and another man charged the group, only to be restrained as well.

The Navy said in a statement that other Marines intervened and no one was injured in the incident, NBC News reported. They later returned to the USS Wasp. Navy Cmdr. Timothy Gorman said that the Marines' unit is on a routine deployment with the US Navy’s Wasp Amphibious Readiness Group.

"We are troubled by this assault on US service members and are appreciative that Turkish police are taking this matter seriously and holding those responsible accountable," National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement Tuesday.

Local authorities identified the attackers as members of the Turkish Youth Union, or TGB. It is affiliated with the small, nationalist Patriotic Party, which has no parliament seats.

The office of the Izmir province governor, Suleyman Elban, said in a statement, "On Monday, September 2, 2024, at around 16:00, two US citizen military personnel in civilian clothes were physically attacked by a group of 15 people, 2 women and 13 men, who are members of the Turkish Youth Union (TGB)."

The 15 alleged attackers were later "caught and detained" by local security forces, the statement added. Five plainclothes US service members were "watching from a distance" and were somehow involved in the incident, the statement said.

The US Embassy in Turkey wrote, "We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in İzmir today, and are now safe. We thank Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation."

According to NBC News, an account purporting to represent the TGB wrote following the attack, "WE PUT SACKS ON THE US SOLDIERS SERVING ON THE LARGEST ATTACK SHIP OF THE USA, USS WASP! US soldiers, who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands, cannot dirty our country. Every time you step into these lands, we will welcome you as you deserve!"