Two U.S. Marines attacked in Turkey by nationalist youth group

Over a dozen members of a Turkish nationalist youth organization have been detained in Turkey following an assault on two US Marines. The incident occurred Monday afternoon in Izmir, where the Marines were on liberty.

According to the US Sixth Fleet, the Marines are part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The attack was carried out by members of the Turkish Youth Union, a nationalist group known for its anti-American sentiment and previous assaults on US service members.

A video confirmed by US officials shows the Marines being forcibly held by several individuals while a speaker at the scene loudly incites the crowd. One Marine is heard calling for help as the group places a bag over the head of another Marine. The crowd then began chanting, “Yankee, go home!”

Fortunately, the Marines were able to escape the situation with assistance from other Marines nearby. They were examined at a local hospital and, after being deemed unharmed, returned to their ship, the USS Wasp.

Despite the incident, both the US and Turkey, as NATO allies, have had a history of tense relations. Recent diplomatic strains have included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s sharp criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and Turkey’s blockage of Sweden’s NATO membership, which was resolved only after the US agreed to sell Turkey advanced fighter jets.

The Navy has reported that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, along with local police in Izmir, is investigating the assault. The US Embassy in Turkey has expressed gratitude for the swift response and ongoing investigation by Turkish authorities.

Izmir’s governorship confirmed that local police intervened during the attack and took 15 suspects into custody. The Marines involved in the incident were not detained, and the individuals implicated are cooperating with the investigation.

This attack is reminiscent of a similar incident in 2014, when members of the Turkish Youth Union assaulted three US sailors on leave in Istanbul, also placing bags over their heads and chanting “Yankee, go home!” The practice of placing bags over the heads of US service members references the “hood incident” of 2003, where US troops detained Turkish soldiers and covered their heads with bags for 60 hours following the Iraq invasion.

The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently deployed with the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group in the eastern Mediterranean, had arrived in Izmir only a day before the incident. The Marines were given leave from their ship as part of a routine break.