Presenter: Mr. Adnan, members of the Youth Union of Turkey (TGB) put bags over the heads of sailors from the USS Ross warship that has been tied up in Sarayburnu, Istanbul for 4 days after returning from a NATO exercise in the Black Sea. Twelve people have been detained in connection with the incident. The U.S. Embassy has issued a statement of condemnation.
Adnan Oktar: Can we see the video clip?
Participants: There should be a video clip of it.
Adnan Oktar: Let me see...
Aylin Kocaman: They attack them first and slap them about. We regard you as killers. Leave our land, they say.
Ceylan Özbudak: They then say, all right, we are going. But they still carry on.
Adnan Oktar: That is no way to treat a guest just because some other guy did something wrong. He has come in friendship, as a friend. How could he know this was going to happen? It is totally unbecoming. There is no place for that in Turkish tradition or custom. They have acted totally improperly, putting bags over Turkish soldiers’ heads but they made no protest in order to avoid any trouble or disorder. But this [recent] way of behaving is no good. This is not a heroic action, a brave action. They are just young kids who have been ordered to go to Turkey. They were small kids when the earlier incident happened. We have a responsibility to ensure their safety. There has been a mistake there. They should have gone out with plain-clothes police protection.
Ceylan Özbudak: Mr. Adnan, the things that happened to the American sailors here have happened to American citizens in other countries, too. They have become unable to go anywhere. You warned about this years ago, saying that if the U.S. policy remains as such because of some people’s ideas, they will be unable to go anywhere. That is why they have a trade deficit of some $10 trillion.
Kartal Göktan: U.S. Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki spoke about a bag being put over the head of an American sailor at Eminönü saying, “this event clearly crossed the line, from peaceful protest to violence and threats.”
Adnan Oktar: Those kids were really scared. I saw the film clip. They are just young kids about 20, still wet behind the ears. They were distressed and had no idea what they wanted from them. They are all shouting, then one puts a bag over his head. That young kid has no idea if you are going to kill him or stab him or what. Those kids were terrified. What is the point of frightening them like that? Just to put a bag over their heads. What kind of logic is that? They are guests, who have trusted you and come here. And what have you gained by putting a bag over his head?
