Turkish Protesters Swarm Izmir Port Until US Warship Leaves Following Assault On Americans

Turkish Protesters Swarm Izmir Port Until US Warship Leaves Following Assault On Americans

Major Lebanese news outlet Almayadeen is reporting that Turkish citizens in Izmir plan to keep protesting against the American military until the US Navy warship USS Wasp departs Izmir's port.

The USS Wasp is in regional waters to as part of efforts to "deter potential threats to Israel" amid the Gaza war, and as the potential for escalation with Hezbollah and Iran looms. "Protesters have issued a firm warning to the Izmir Governorship, stating they will remain at the port until the ship departs," Almayadeen writes. "They also condemned the United States for its role in causing suffering and violence in Iraq, Syria, and the broader West Asia region."

Anti-Israel sentiment in Turkey has exploded since the Gaza war kicked off ten months ago. Outrage is being directed at Washington for being Tel Aviv's biggest military backer and supporter.

Even American military personnel have been directly targeted, despite Turkey being a NATO ally and playing host to US bases, as was seen with Monday's dramatic events where on the streets of the southern city of Izmir US Navy and Marine service members were brutally assaulted, though they managed to escape to safety when local police intervened.

The US troops had been on weekend liberty after the USS Wasp amphibious ship docked there, and the incident included a Turkish mob from a hardline nationalist political party throwing a bag over the head of one soldier, which several angry men briefly detained while shouting "Yankee go home!" - as we detailed previously. The protesters' complaints hearken all the way back to the US invasion of Iraq - they've charged Washington with being an imperial power which frequently attacks the people of the Middle East. The US military is also currently supporting the Syrian Kurds, which are hated by Turkey. — ZeroHedge