NORFOLK, Va. — An attack on U.S. Marines in Turkey was caught on camera. It happened Sunday, Sept. 2.
The Marines are attached to the Norfolk-based USS Wasp.
“This is clearly a troubling incident," USAF Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a press briefing at the Pentagon Tuesday afternoon.
A video posted on X shows members of a Turkish youth group placing a white bag over the head of a U.S. Marine and repeatedly shouting, “Yankee, go home!”
It also shows another Marine being held against his will.
ABD'NİN EN BÜYÜK TAARRUZ GEMİSİ USS WASP'TA GÖREVLİ ABD ASKERLERİNE ÇUVAL GEÇİRDİK!Mehmetçiğimizin ve binlerce Filistinlinin kanını elinde taşıyan ABD askerleri ülkemizi kirletemez.Bu topraklara her adım attığınızda sizi hak ettiğiniz gibi karşılayacağız! @USEmbassyTurkey… pic.twitter.com/Brzr6KZP8m
— TGB (@genclikbirligi) September 2, 2024
The Turkish government says five service members tried to help the two Marines assaulted. The government also says all 15 assailants have been detained.
The Marines were on liberty in Izmir, Turkey while the USS Wasp was docked there.
“Certainly, very proud of the professionalism of our service members," Ryder said.
According to national reports, the same youth group made a similar attack against a Navy civilian employee in 2021 and attacked some sailors in 2014.
The USS Wasp is an amphibious assault ship that serves a variety of roles, including supporting Marines during deployments.
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It deployed on June 1.
Retired Vice Admiral Herm Shelanski said a lot of vetting is done to make sure a port is safe before a ship goes there, but even the best planning can’t predict everything.
“You really worry about the safety of your crew, and not just their safety, you want to make sure they do the right thing also; that they don’t disturb international relationships," Shelanski said.
He explained that port visits are important diplomatically for everyone involved and financially for the port, potentially bringing in millions of dollars for the economy.
“It's not just for fun. There's a reason for that. There's really important things that go on," Shelanski said about port visits. "That’s why I kind of think both Turkey, the city, and the ship will go to great lengths, most likely, to maintain the port visit but with a little bit more caution, a little bit more safety built in."
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News 3 reached out to the ship for comment Tuesday. A spokesperson sent a statement, saying in part, "I can assure you that the Marines that were involved have been returned to the ship and our Sailors and Marines are all safe and accounted for.”
The statement from the ship’s spokesperson says the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and police in Turkey are investigating what happened.
This is not the first time the Wasp has been in the headlines recently. In May, more than 30 sailors and Marines assigned to two Norfolk-based ships, including the USS Wasp, were injured in a training exercise in Florida.
