Turkey: 12 migrants found frozen to death at Greek border
2 February 2022, 17:34
They were found near the Ipsala border crossing.
The bodies of 12 migrants who froze to death have been found near Turkey’s border with Greece, the Turkish interior minister said, accusing Greek border guards of pushing them back over the frontier.
Suleyman Soylu said the 12 were among 22 migrants who were pushed back into Turkey by Greek border guards.
He said they were found near the Ipsala border crossing between Turkey and Greece “without shoes and stripped of their clothes”.
The minister shared blurred photographs of eight of the recovered bodies, including three in shorts and T-shirts.
Mr Soylu accused Greek border units of acting like “thugs” towards migrants while showing sympathy towards members of a network which Turkey says is behind a 2016 failed military coup, who have escaped to Greece.
He also accused the European Union of being “helpless, weak and inhumane”.
In Greece, migration minister Notis Mitarachi said the deaths were a “tragedy” but denied the claim that Greek forces had pushed back the migrants.
“The truth behind the incident has nothing to do with the false propaganda made public by my colleague, Mr Soylu,” Mr Mitarachi said.
“These specific migrants never made it to the border. Any suggestion that they may have reached it or been pushed back to Turkey is utter nonsense.”
He accused Turkey of failing to prevent migrants from approaching the border area and making “these dangerous journeys”.
“Instead of accusing others, Turkey should assume its responsibilities if we want to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.”
The governor’s office for Edirne province, near the land border with Greece, said the dead included a migrant who died in hospital after being rescued by Turkish authorities.
The International Organisation for Migration said it was “horrified” by the reported deaths and that it would follow up the incident with the relevant authorities.
“Mounting reports of pushbacks against people on the move at some European borders and many parts of the world are extremely concerning and should be investigated and action taken,” said Safa Msehli, a spokesperson for the IOM.
“We reiterate that such practices are prohibited under international law and should not happen under any circumstances,” she said. “The obligation and primacy of saving lives and prioritising the well-being and human rights of migrants are vital to the integrity of any border.”
Turkey frequently accuses Greece of illegally pushing back migrants wanting to make their way into Europe.
Greece denies accusations that it carries out so-called pushbacks that prevent migrants from applying for international protection.
Turkey, which hosts about 3.7 million Syrian refugees, is a major crossing point for migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa seeking a better life in European Union countries.
Most try to cross into Greece either by the north-eastern land border or cramming into smuggling boats headed for the eastern Aegean Sea islands.
Recently, smuggling gangs have even been piling migrants into yachts heading from Turkey to Italy.
Dozens of migrants died in the central Aegean last month.
