The United States called the attack on two U.S. Marines in Izmir, on Turkey’s western coast, worrisome.
“Andthis is clearly a worrying incident. We appreciate the support of the Turkish authorities who are investigating him,” said Department of Defense (Pentagon) spokesman General Pat Ryder at a press conference.
The attackers were two women and thirteen men who were quickly captured and placed in detention, according to the authorities of the province of Izmir on the social network X, about Monday’s incident.
“The two marines are safe. They were assisted by other Marines in the area and taken to a local hospital for evaluation, but they were not injured,” Ryder added.
The two Marines are from the USS Wasp, a U.S. Navy ship.
The ship arrived in Izmir on Sunday after having conducted joint training with Turkish assault ships in the Mediterranean.
Izmir province noted that “five plainclothes U.S. soldiers watched the incident from a distance and were involved” in its resolution.
The Pentagon spokesman detailed today that no marines have been arrested and that those involved are collaborating with investigators.
The Turkish prosecutor’s office had announced on Monday the arrest of 15 people due to the assault on the two US soldiers, adding that the suspects are members of the Turkish Youth Union (TGB).
The attack was claimed responsibility for TGB in a video shared on its X account.
“We covered the heads of the American soldiers of the USS Wasp with a bag (…). American soldiers, who have on their hands the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians, cannot contaminate our country,” the nationalist group said.
In mid-August, the USS Wasp carried out maneuvers with Turkish military ships in the Mediterranean, which Turkish media associated with the opposition saw as a manifestation of support for Israel.
The Turkish Defense Ministry rejected the criticism, insisting that the maneuvers were “routine.”