On Monday in the western city of Izmir, a crowd of onlookers screamed anti-American slogans while a group of young Turkish nationalists attacked two US service members. Fifteen of the attackers have been taken into custody by Turkish police, and the American servicemen are apparently safe.
As one American sailor attempted to defend himself, the crowd placed a sack over his head, giving the impression that the attack was an attempt at kidnapping.
Turkish police intervened after five more U.S. servicemen, reportedly thwarting the attempt.
The attackers were reportedly part of Turkiye Genclik Birligi (TGB), also known as the “Turkey Youth Union” in English, according to the governor’s office in Izmir. TGB is the violently anti-American youth wing of Vatan Partisi, sometimes known as the “Patriotic Party,” a fringe nationalist organization. At the moment, Vatan Partisi has no seats in the Turkish parliament.
The cries heard during the attempted kidnapping were interpreted as “America is finished!” and “Yankee go home!” by a number of witnesses.
TGB tagged the accounts of the US Department of Defense and the US Embassy in Turkey in a video of the attack that it uploaded on its X account. The TGB referred to the attack as a “sack action” in linked X posts.
“U.S. soldiers, who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands, cannot defile our country. Every time you step into these lands, we will welcome you as you deserve!” TGB stated.
TGB has carried out “sack actions” in the past, including as the 2014 attack on three US Navy officers in Istanbul that was strikingly similar.
U.S. Navy members from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp were “the victims of an assault in Izmir today, and are now safe,” according to confirmation from the U.S. Embassy in Turkey on Monday.
The embassy expressed gratitude to the Turkish authorities for their prompt action and further inquiry.
On Sunday, the USS Wasp made her planned port call in Izmir. Prior to docking, the Wasp participated in bilateral maritime training alongside the Turkish frigate TCG Gokova and the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu of the Turkish Navy.
The United States Navy stated that the training and the Wasp’s port call in Izmir were meant to serve as a “symbol of America’s enduring commitment to Turkey’s security.” Captain Christopher Purcell, the Wasp’s commanding officer, called their training on the Anadolu “a fantastic experience for our crew.”