Turkish youths beat up US Navy sailors on shore leave

Muhammad Amin

Turkish police have detained 15 members of an anti-American youth organisation who beat up two US Navy sailors on shore leave in the city of Izmir over US support for the Gaza genocide.
They posted a video on X saying the sailors had the blood of Turkish soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands.
The youths, all members of the Turkish Youth Union, an arms the nationalist Patriotic Party were detained on the orders of a prosecutor.
The US Embassy said the sailors from the USS Wasp were “now safe” and said it was “troubled” by the incident.
“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 spokesman Sean Savett said.
The youths posted a video on X and said they placed sacks over the heads of soldiers who had disembarked from a US Navy amphibious assault ship.
The video shows them yelling, “Yankee go home!” while restraining a man and putting a sack over his head.
“The US soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot pollute our country,” they shouted.
Associated Press reports the USS Wasp arrived in Izmir on Sunday after conducting joint training with Turkish assault ships in the Mediterranean.