American sailors attacked by Turkish nationalists in Izmir
An alarming incident occurred on the streets of Izmir, Turkey. On Monday morning, two American sailors were attacked by a group of Turkish nationalists. Police had to intervene, and 15 individuals were arrested. Shocking videos of the incident are available online.
The scandalous scenes unfolded today (September 2) on the streets of Izmir, Turkey. Local nationalists attacked two American sailors from the USS Wasp (LHD-1) in broad daylight. The incident was reported by, among others, a blogger running the OSINTdefender profile.
The videos available online show several men attacking the American sailors. Screams and insults can be heard. One of the sailors was held down by two attackers. At one point, the assailants placed a plastic bag over the sailor's head.
Why did the attack happen? Initial reports point to "revenge" for an incident that took place between American and Turkish soldiers at the beginning of the 21st century.
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 safee, reports the US Embassy in Turkey.
This is not the first incident of this type. US soldiers are not always safe
Turkish nationalists do not have a peaceful attitude toward US soldiers. Attacks on Americans occur there quite regularly. In 2014, three sailors from the USS Ross were attacked. Similarly, in 2021, the Turks aggressively targeted several crew members of the USS Mount Whitney.
The pretext for the attack is the so-called "Hood Event." This is an incident from 2003 when American soldiers detained Turkish military personnel during the US invasion of Iraq. The Americans placed hoods over the Turks' heads and took them for interrogation.
The mistake by US soldiers infuriated Turkish nationalists. Why did the attack happen? It turned out that the mistake was due to faulty intelligence data. The Americans believed that individuals planning an attack on the Iraqi-Kurdish governor of the Kirkuk province were hiding in the Turkish house.
The USA and Turkey expressed regret regarding the incident. The Turkish soldiers were released from detention after 60 hours. The event significantly impacted relations between the United States and Turkey.
