Turkish Authorities Detain 15 Anti-American Activists in Assault on U.S. Military Personnel

Turkish authorities detained 15 members of an anti-American youth organization who assaulted two U.S. military personnel in Izmir. The U.S. Embassy confirmed the incident and expressed concerns. The group, Turkish Youth Union, linked with the Patriotic Party, posted a video of the incident online.

Turkish authorities on Monday detained 15 members of an anti-American youth organization who physically assaulted two U.S. military personnel in the city of Izmir, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

The news agency reported that members of the Turkish Youth Union, connected to the nationalist Patriotic Party, were detained on the orders of a prosecutor.

The U.S. Embassy confirmed the incident, stating that the service members on board the USS Wasp were "now safe." National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said, "We are troubled by this assault on U.S. service members and are appreciative that Turkish police are taking this matter seriously and holding those responsible accountable."

The group posted a video on social media platform X showing the incident, where they placed sacks over the heads of the soldiers who had disembarked from the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp.

The video featured men shouting, "Yankee go home!" while restraining a man and trying to put a sack over his head.

The group declared on X, "The U.S. soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot pollute our country."

The USS Wasp had arrived in Izmir after conducting joint training exercises with Turkish assault ships in the Mediterranean.

(With inputs from agencies.)