A day after the Turkish Foreign Ministry claimed that “Greece has been firing at refugee boats” it issued a statement expanding its allegations claiming that Greece mistreats refugees.
“Greek authorities arrest refugees, strip them off, beat them, confiscate their belongings and send them back to Turkey,” a ministry statement said on Sunday.
“In 2018, 11.867, in the first 10 months of 2019, 25.404 irregular migrants have been pushed back from Greece to Turkey. It has been identified from the testimonials of pushed back migrants that, after detained by Greek officials, their personal belongings were confiscated without any official procedure, they were subjected to unacceptable treatment and beaten and then pushed back to our borders under the company of the Greek officials, the statement said among others.
Turkey claimed “we have photos and documents that may be needed.” And adds “there is evidence in the European Council that Greece treats refugees this way.”
“We call on the new Greek government to correct its policy, which is illegal under international law, and to stop denying what it does,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
It also reports that “Greece sent 25,404 illegal immigrants back to Turkey in the first ten months of 2019.”
On Saturday, Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, claimed publicly that “Greece has been firing at refugee boats, sinking them in the Aegean, people are drowned, others forcibly return to Turkey wounded.”
The Greek Foreign Ministry categorically dismissed the claims in a statement.
There have been some complaints to human rights organization about mistreatment and illegal pushbacks in the land border, Evros river, in the past – in 2018, I think -.
But I wonder, what Turkey tries to achieve by bringing up its claims now.
PS If Turkey has “photos and evidence” it should present them to the international community and we will all together condemn Greece. Otherwise, it looks like a hysteric behavior.
The genocidal terrorist king speaks