US Soldiers Assaulted In Turkey By Nationalist Group

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. 15 assailants have 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.

The governor’s office said that five U.S. soldiers joined in after seeing the incident, and that police intervened. The US Embassy to Turkey released a statement reading: “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.”

“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.

It seems like the attack on US soldiers comes from the TBG’s opposition to US support for Israel in their winning war against Hezbollah and Hamas. Will things cool down, or escalate from here? We will see.