Two American service members were assaulted by a mob of young Turkish nationalists in the western city of Izmir on Monday. The attack, which appeared to be an attempted kidnapping, was thwarted when fellow US soldiers and Turkish police intervened.

According to reports, the American personnel, who are safe, were targeted by members of the Turkiye Genclik Birligi (TGB), or the “Turkey Youth Union,” a virulently anti-American group affiliated with the fringe nationalist party Vatan Partisi.

The attackers threw a sack over the head of one American sailor while the other tried to defend him, prompting chants of “Yankee go home!” and “America is finished!” from the crowd. Turkish police arrested 15 of the assailants.

The TGB claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, describing it as a “sack action” and vowing to continue targeting US soldiers. The group has conducted similar assaults in the past, including a 2014 attack on three US Navy personnel in Istanbul.

The US Embassy in Turkey confirmed the incident and thanked Turkish authorities for their response.

The attack occurred during a scheduled port visit by the USS Wasp, which had participated in bilateral training with the Turkish Navy prior to docking in Izmir.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)