WASP

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US Marines attacked by nationalist in Izmir

Two U.S. Marines from the USS 'Wasp' were attacked on Sep 2, 2024, during a port visit in Izmir, A video of the apparent incident showed a group of men forcing a bag over the head of one of the Marines as they restrained him, chanting "Yankee go home." The men appeared to be members of the Turkish Youth Union, a small, nationalist, anti-American organization. The Turkish authorities detained 15 people in connection with the assault. The Marines, part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, were taken to a local hospital for evaluation as a precaution and returned to their ship later the day. The Izmir police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service were cooperating in the investigation of the incident. No Marines have been detained by authorities and those involved were cooperating with investigators. The USS Wasp is part of a marine expeditionary unit on a routine deployment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit recently completed a bilateral training exercise with Turkey in the region.