American sailors attacked by Turkish nationalists in Izmir streets
A shocking 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 people were arrested. Startling videos of the incident are available online.
Disturbing scenes unfolded today (just past midnight on 2 September) 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.
In the videos available online, you can see several men attacking the American sailors. Screams and insults can be heard. One of the Americans was held by two Turks. At one point, the attackers placed a plastic bag over the sailor's head.
Why did the attack occur? Early reports indicate it was "revenge" for an incident between American and Turkish soldiers in the early 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 safe, reports the U.S. embassy in Turkey.
This is not the first incident of this kind. U.S. soldiers are not always safe
Turkish nationalists are not peaceful toward American soldiers. Attacks on Americans occur quite regularly. In 2014, three sailors from the USS Ross were attacked. Similarly, in 2021, Turks aggressively targeted several crew members from the USS Mount Whitney.
The pretext for the attack is the so-called "Hood Event." It is an incident from 2003 when American soldiers captured Turkish military personnel during the American invasion of Iraq. Americans placed bags over the Turks' heads and took them for interrogation.
The mistake by U.S. soldiers sparked outrage among Turkish nationalists. Why did the attack occur? As it turned out, the mistake resulted from intelligence data. The Americans believed that individuals planning to assassinate the Iraqi-Kurdish governor of Kirkuk were hiding in the Turkish house.
The U.S. and Turkey expressed regret about the incident. The Turkish soldiers were released from detention after two and a half days. The event significantly impacted relations between the United States and Turkey.
