An incident took place yesterday involving three U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), which is on a scheduled port visit to Istanbul, Turkey.
The incident, which was recorded on video and posted to the internet, shows approximately 20 individuals, claiming to be from the “Turkish Youth Union”, verbally and physically assaulting the Sailors while on liberty in Istanbul.
The Sailors managed to remove themselves from the situation without sustaining injuries and are safely back aboard USS Ross.
The U.S. Navy is currently working with the Turkish National Police and U.S. Embassy staff to investigate this incident. The U.S. Navy will continue to coordinate with Turkish authorities to review security procedures for future ship visits.
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Press release, Image: US Navy