U.S. soldiers assaulted in western Turkey

[seminole97]

By Reuters
September 2, 202412:17 PM EDT Updated 3 hours ago

ANKARA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A nationalist Turkish youth group on Monday physically assaulted two U.S. soldiers in western Turkey, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey and the local governor's office said, adding that 15 assailants had been detained over the incident.

In a statement, the Izmir governor's office said members of the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), a youth branch of the nationalist opposition Vatan Party, "physically attacked" two U.S. soldiers dressed in civilian clothes in the Konak district.

It added that five U.S. soldiers joined in after seeing the incident, and that police intervened. All 15 attackers had been detained and an investigation was launched into the matter, it said.

The U.S. Embassy to Turkey confirmed the attack and said the U.S. soldiers were now safe.

"We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in Izmir today, and are now safe," it said on social media platform X.

Earlier, the TGB posted a video on X showing a group holding down a man on the street and putting a white hood over his head, while shouting slogans.

The group said the man was a soldier on board the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara had said earlier on Monday that the ship was carrying out a port visit to the Aegean coastal town of Izmir this week.

"U.S. soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot dirty our country. Every time you step foot in these lands, we will meet you the way you deserve," TGB said.

 

[seminole97]

Hadn't heard this story before (three years ago):

https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/...ted-by-turkish-nationalist-youth-group-photos

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A number of US soldiers were humiliated by nationalist Youth Union of Turkey (TGB) as the group has announced that its members had put sacks over the heads of the US soldiers who just arrived at Istanbul's Sarayburnu port.​

The US soldiers are believed to be among the crew of the US Navy warship "USS Mount Whitney" which is currently docked at Sarayburnu Port, Duvar English reported.

The TGB is a nationalist group closely linked to the Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi).

“We have put sacks on the heads of American soldiers in Sarayburnu,” read a statement of the TGB on Twitter on Tuesday.

The amphibious command and control ship 'USS Mount Whitney' belonging to the US Navy with the side number LCC-20 anchored in Sarayburnu Portyesterday evening. The ship, which will stay in Istanbul for three days, will then sail to the Black Sea for exercise.
Aydınlık, the newspaper of the Patriotic Party, has also released photos from the scene of the incident.

The group published photos that showed a group of people indicated to be US soldiers are taking a hit from TGB members.
In 2014, TGB members had also put sacks over the heads of the crew of the American warship USS ROSS (DDG71) as it was returning from a NATO exercise in the Black Sea.

The TGB is undertaking this action as a form of protest to a July 2003 incident in which a group of Turkish Special Forces operating in northern Iraq were arrested by US soldiers and led away with hoods over their heads to be interrogated.

They were released after 60 hours in response to protests by top Turkish leaders, but what became known as “the hood event” was viewed by many Turks as a deliberate insult.

 

[seminole97]

Nationalist Youths Attack U.S. Sailors in Turkey​

By Ceylan Yeginsu

• Nov. 12, 2014

ISTANBUL — Members of a Turkish nationalist youth group assaulted three visiting American sailors in Istanbul on Wednesday, hurling balloons filled with red paint at them, putting white sacks over their heads and calling them murderers.

The Turkish authorities later arrested 12 people in connection with the assault, which the American Embassy in Ankara described as “appalling.”

A video posted online by the group, the Turkish Youth Union, or T.G.B., shows a dozen of its members staging an anti-American protest in the touristy Eminonu neighborhood and attacking the sailors, who were not in uniform, in broad daylight.

The sailors had just disembarked from the guided missile destroyer Ross, docked in Istanbul for a few days. They escaped and returned to the ship, and all shore leave for the crew was canceled.

 

[Here_4_a_Day]

View embedded media

By Reuters
September 2, 202412:17 PM EDT Updated 3 hours ago

ANKARA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A nationalist Turkish youth group on Monday physically assaulted two U.S. soldiers in western Turkey, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey and the local governor's office said, adding that 15 assailants had been detained over the incident.

In a statement, the Izmir governor's office said members of the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), a youth branch of the nationalist opposition Vatan Party, "physically attacked" two U.S. soldiers dressed in civilian clothes in the Konak district.

It added that five U.S. soldiers joined in after seeing the incident, and that police intervened. All 15 attackers had been detained and an investigation was launched into the matter, it said.

The U.S. Embassy to Turkey confirmed the attack and said the U.S. soldiers were now safe.

"We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in Izmir today, and are now safe," it said on social media platform X.

Earlier, the TGB posted a video on X showing a group holding down a man on the street and putting a white hood over his head, while shouting slogans.

The group said the man was a soldier on board the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara had said earlier on Monday that the ship was carrying out a port visit to the Aegean coastal town of Izmir this week.

"U.S. soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot dirty our country. Every time you step foot in these lands, we will meet you the way you deserve," TGB said.

No ****ing way those are Marines, bro! 🤣

 

[iavagabond]

F turkey. Let them fend for themselves.

 

[95Hawk]

Did you say western turkey?

 

[Easy Eddy]

Nationalist Youths Attack U.S. Sailors in Turkey​

By Ceylan Yeginsu

• Nov. 12, 2014

ISTANBUL — Members of a Turkish nationalist youth group assaulted three visiting American sailors in Istanbul on Wednesday, hurling balloons filled with red paint at them, putting white sacks over their heads and calling them murderers.

The Turkish authorities later arrested 12 people in connection with the assault, which the American Embassy in Ankara described as “appalling.”

A video posted online by the group, the Turkish Youth Union, or T.G.B., shows a dozen of its members staging an anti-American protest in the touristy Eminonu neighborhood and attacking the sailors, who were not in uniform, in broad daylight.

The sailors had just disembarked from the guided missile destroyer Ross, docked in Istanbul for a few days. They escaped and returned to the ship, and all shore leave for the crew was canceled.

Great sources.

 

[Here_4_a_Day]

Great sources.

Ship bound swabbies is more realistic.......

 

[MichaelKeller99]

There’s a pretty easy way to prevent US soldiers from being assaulted in foreign countries. 🤷‍♂️

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

There’s a pretty easy way to prevent US soldiers from being assaulted in foreign countries. 🤷‍♂️

Indeed there is.

 

[fsu1jreed]

All I know, when I think nationalist...I think left leaning

My god you idiots are brainwashed

 

[seminole97]

All I know, when I think nationalist...I think left leaning

My god you idiots are brainwashed

Please educate us about them.


https://www.businessinsider.com/radical-turks-attack-us-sailors-in-istanbul-2014-11

The TGB is a self-described left-wing nationalist and revolutionary youth organization. They strongly identify with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the secular nationalist founder of the modern Turkish republic, but support socialist economic policies and are strongly opposed to "imperialism."

 

[fsu1jreed]

Please educate us about them.


https://www.businessinsider.com/radical-turks-attack-us-sailors-in-istanbul-2014-11

The TGB is a self-described left-wing nationalist and revolutionary youth organization. They strongly identify with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the secular nationalist founder of the modern Turkish republic, but support socialist economic policies and are strongly opposed to "imperialism."

All I know, when I think secular, I think left leaning

 

[artradley]

Great sources.

And very topical. Obama should have done something about that in 2014. I particularly like the OP's source who refers to Turkey Nationalists as "leftists." LOL. I guess they hate America, hate Europe, and hate LGBTQ folks. I dunno, I guess "leftists" means something different in Turkey?

This is just a bizarre thread.

 

[seminole97]

All I know, when I think secular, I think left leaning

Its almost as if it’s simply not possible to describe multi-polar political alignment in the single dimension offered by the seating arrangements at the French National Assembly.

When you hear socialists, do you think left leaning?

 

[seminole97]

And very topical. Obama should have done something about that in 2014. I particularly like the OP's source who refers to Turkey Nationalists as "leftists." LOL. I guess they hate America, hate Europe, and hate LGBTQ folks. I dunno, I guess "leftists" means something different in Turkey?

This is just a bizarre thread.

Aren’t socialists generally leftist?

Do you think secular government is more of a right wing, or left wing notion in a Muslim country like Turkey?

Nationalism versus the ummah strikes me as left wing in a place like Turkey, if right wing is literally conservative of the local past.

 

[seminole97]

And very topical. Obama should have done something about that in 2014.

Topical because it just happened, again.

I linked earlier iterations of the same group attacking servicemen.

The dates are clearly listed.

 

[Easy Eddy]

And very topical. Obama should have done something about that in 2014. I particularly like the OP's source who refers to Turkey Nationalists as "leftists." LOL. I guess they hate America, hate Europe, and hate LGBTQ folks. I dunno, I guess "leftists" means something different in Turkey?

This is just a bizarre thread.

Are you trying to tell me that Turkish nationalists aren't leftists? Unpossible.

 

[SSG T]

Were they Marines or Soldiers? Those are two completely different things.

 

[Easy Eddy]

Topical because it just happened, again.

I linked earlier iterations of the same group attacking servicemen.

The dates are clearly listed.

How is this group leftist?

 

[artradley]

How is this group leftist?

I looked at their website and they kind of all over the place, but they definitely hate LGBTQ and the west. Meanwhile they expressed support for Polish labor.

 

[Breastman]

Anyone here serve in South Korea? More specifically, Camp Casey and Dongducheon?

I never served in the military, but visited a buddy of mine at Camp Casey about twenty years ago. Went out after 10pm for more beer (the US soldiers had a curfew) and encountered some Korean locals. They told me I REALLY needed to be careful running around solo at night as the Turks liked to attack US soldiers. Apparently, there was a sizable Turkish community working at a local factory and there were problems between them and the soldiers.

 

[TheCainer]

What did the mob do, call the marine a sucker and a loser?