Two US Marines were roughed up by members of a Turkish youth group on Monday, with the assailants placing a hood over the head of one of the men, reports Reuters. Other Marines came to their rescue in the port city of Izmir, and the US Embassy says neither man was injured, per CNN. The men were in civilian clothes when members of the Turkey Youth Union (TGB) assaulted the Marines while shouting "Yankee go home!" in English. The Marines are stationed on the USS Wasp, currently on a port visit to Imzir, and were on leave when the assault occurred.
In a tweeted statement (which includes video of the hood being placed on one of the servicemen), the TGB cited the Israeli-Hamas war. "US soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot dirty our country," it reads. "Every time you step foot in these lands, we will meet you the way you deserve." The American embassy said the ship arrived Sunday following joint exercises with Turkish military ships in the Mediterranean, per the Guardian.
- The symbolism: The Middle East Eye reports that the hood is a reference to an incident during the 2003 Iraq war when American forces detained Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq and placed hoods over their heads. It caused outrage in Turkey and throughout the Muslim world.
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