US Marines Attacked While Visiting Turkey

Top line

Two U.S. Marines were attacked by more than a dozen members of a nationalist group on Monday while visiting Turkey, U.S. military officials said. At least 15 arrests were made after a video apparently showing the attack was posted online.

Key facts

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A surprising fact

About 20 people posing as members of the Turkish Youth Union attacked three American sailors in Istanbul in 2014, The Washington Post reported. The U.S. Embassy in Turkey condemned the attack, saying the “vast majority” of Turks would consider it “an act that deeply offends Turkey’s reputation for hospitality.” In 2016, two members of the group were arrested after trying to put a bag over the head of an American soldier at an air base in southern Turkey, according to the Associated Press.

Key general information

Before the attack, the USS Wasp was on a routine deployment to the eastern Mediterranean and had recently completed a training exercise with Turkey, a U.S. ally and NATO member, Gorman said. The United States and Turkey have been allies for decades, but there have been some points of tension, including Turkey’s relationship with Russia and opposition to Kurdish groups allied with the U.S. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also criticized the U.S. for its alliance with Israel. The State Department issued a travel warning for areas of Turkey last year, citing an increased risk of attacks on Americans by terrorist groups, although the Izmir region was not included in the warning.

Further reading

Washington PostNew footage shows US sailors attacked by Turkish mob in Istanbul