Two members of the United States Marine Corps attached to the USS Wasp were assaulted by a group of civilians during shore leave in Izmir, Turkey, the U.S. Sixth Fleet announced Monday.
The victims, dressed in street clothes, were allegedly confronted by a contingent of two women and 13 men who were reportedly associates of The Turkish Youth Group, an organization affiliated with the nationalistic Vatan political party.
Video of the altercation on social media showed some of the assailants placing hoods over the two subjects while several of the perpetrators chanted, "Yankee, go home!”
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara confirmed the incident in a post on X before thanking Turkish authorities for their swift response to the disorder.
Local officials reported that 15 suspects were taken into custody and that an investigation regarding the matter has been established.
The Marines were transported to a hospital after the disturbance and have since returned to their ship.
