From Today’s Zaman:  Seven German soldiers who are in Turkey as part of a NATO mission to install a Patriot missile system near the Turkish-Syrian border were attacked by a group of activists opposed to the deployment of the missile system in Turkey.

The soldiers went to a local bazaar in İskenderun, Hatay province, to shop after getting permission from their commanders. They were surrounded by a group of 26 activists from the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), youth branch of the leftist Labor Party (İP).

The group tried to put sacks over the soldiers’ heads, in an apparent reference to the American treatment of 11 Turkish soldiers in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah in 2003.

The German soldiers managed to escape from the scene with the help of locals.

The soldiers took shelter in a jewelry shop. After police arrived to the scene, they were transferred to their hotel by security forces. The soldiers are reportedly in good health and were not hurt.  (photo: Cihan)

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