Fifteen members of the Turkish Youth Union (TGB), an anti-American group linked to a political party, were detained following an assault on U.S. servicemen, authorities said on Monday. The incident in the western city of Izmir was captured on camera by TGB, which is known for similar attacks on U.S. soldiers in the past.
The servicemen were part of the crew of the USS Wasp, an American amphibious assault ship docked in Izmir since Sept. 1. The Izmir Governorate said the suspects attacked two men dressed in civilian clothes while they were walking on a street, noting that five other U.S. soldiers nearby tried to intervene to the group. The governorate said security forces swiftly stopped the assailants and the suspects were detained upon orders of the prosecutor. An investigation into the incident is underway.
On social media network X, the American Embassy in Türkiye confirmed the assault and said the victims were safe, while thanking Turkish authorities for their "rapid response and ongoing investigation." U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett added that the United States was "troubled by this assault" and was appreciative that Turkish police were "holding those responsible accountable."
Claiming the attack, the TGB posted a video on its X account in which several people are seen forcing a bag over the head of a person dressed in civilian clothes as the attackers chant: "Yankee go home!" in English. "American soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot defile our country," the TGB said.
The bag over the head referred to an incident from the 2003 Iraq war when U.S. forces in northern Iraq arrested a group of Turkish soldiers, forced hoods over their heads and held them for three days. The incident outraged many in Türkiye.
In mid-August, the USS Wasp carried out joint training exercises with Turkish military vessels in the Mediterranean.
The drills drew criticism from Turkish media close to the opposition, which saw the American ship's deployment as part of the United States' support for Israel. The Turkish Defense Ministry rejected the criticism, calling the training a "routine" activity "neither beneficial to Israel nor harmful to Palestine." In 2014, several dozen TGB members attacked three U.S. sailors in central Istanbul, throwing red dye and seeking to force white sacks as hoods on their heads.
TGB is affiliated with the Patriotic Party (VP), a fringe party known for its staunch opposition to U.S.-Turkish ties and advocates stronger bonds with Russia and China.
Türkiye-U.S. relations have been tumultuous at times but the two countries remain steadfast NATO allies. Yet, a recent international survey by U.S.-based think tank Pew Research Center showed that favorable opinion of the United States around the world was lowest in Türkiye, along with Tunisia. Some 80% of Turks held an unfavorable view of the U.S., according to Pew, which noted that this view has been "consistent" since it started polling in Türkiye in 2002.
Türkiye and the U.S. have had ups and downs since Ottoman times but enjoyed their golden era in the post-World War II period. With their alliance in NATO and U.S. aid to Türkiye after the war, Ankara avoided the cost of a blow to its economy and boosted relations. Yet, the superpower had its fair share of skeptics back then too. Governments kept ties, especially on the economic side, on a growing momentum, but perceived U.S. support in a 1980 coup in the country (followed by growing left-wing protests against the U.S. in preceding decades) contributed to the unfavorable view of the U.S. in Türkiye. On the state level, Türkiye sees the U.S. as a safe haven for members of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which was behind a 2016 coup attempt in the country. The group’s leader Fetullah Gülen resides in Pennsylvania and Ankara’s efforts for his extradition failed so far. Ankara also complains of U.S. support for the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, which killed thousands since the 1980s in Türkiye.