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Turkish citizens are reportedly protesting the presence of an American warship, the United States Ship Wasp, docked at a Turkish port city, in a rebellion against the American military’s support of Israel.
Political activists assembled at the Izmir Port equipped with Palestinian flags and anti-Israel banners, promising to stay at the port until the warship leaves, a Lebanese news service, Al Mayadeen, is reporting. The protesters are waving signs saying “Our country’s ports cannot be supply and logistics points for murderers,” “Down with Israel,” “Down with NATO,” and “Down with USA,” the outlet notes.
The U.S.S. Wasp arrived at the Izmir port over the weekend and has been a part of the Defense Department’s larger strategy to deter regional conflict and defend Israel. Turkey is a member of NATO, and home to the Incirlik Air Base housing America’s 39th Air Base Wing.
The Turkish protests began on Monday night, the same day as two American Marines at the port were attacked in Izmir by an anti-American youth organization. The two Marines, part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the U.S.S. Wasp, were wearing civilian clothes and not on the ship during the attack.
Video footage posted to the Turkish Youth Union’s X account shows a mob — 15 of whom were later detained by Turkish authorities — surrounding one of the Marines and shoving a white sack over his head while chanting “Yankee, go home.”
The group boasted on its X account that it put sacks on soldiers serving on the “largest attack ship of the USA” and said the soldiers “who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands, cannot defile our country.” It further threatened the American military that “Every time you step into these lands, we will welcome you as you deserve!”
“We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in İzmir today, and are now safe,” the U.S. Embassy in Turkey said on Monday. “We thank Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation.”
The soldiers aboard the U.S.S. Wasp have had shore leave canceled following the attack, the Associated Press reported.
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