Erdogan hits out at Greece after migrants freeze to death

 

Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says watching on as people freeze to death is not something that can be accepted, as he also accuses EU's border agency Frontex of inaction.

Turkiye has frequently held Greece accountable of illegally pushing back migrants and asylum seekers wanting to make their way into Europe. (AA Archive)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Greece's stance on migrants and asylum seekers after more than a dozen people were found frozen to death this week just inside Turkiye's border.

"Watching on as people freeze to death there is not something that can be accepted or stomached," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara on Thursday.

"No matter which country's leader we meet with, we will put the images we have recorded and all in front of them," he added.

On Wednesday, Turkiye accused Greece of sending the asylum seekers back across the border without shoes or clothing, a charge Athens dismissed. 

The death toll from the incident rose to 19 on Thursday.

Erdogan also took a swipe at the EU's border agency Frontex, accusing it of inaction. 

"It serves no purpose. Aside from backing Greece, they have no role," he said.

Ankara has repeatedly accused Frontex of being involved in migrant and refugee pushbacks and the agency has come under scrutiny for its practices and for failing to meet transparency requirements.

 

UNHCR demands urgent investigation

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said it has received a growing number of reports in recent months suggesting asylum seekers may have been pushed back to Turkiye at sea or immediately after reaching Greek soil, or left adrift at sea.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency, UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo described the death of the asylum seekers as "heartbreaking" and called for an urgent investigation into the tragedy.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the news," Mantoo said. "We call for an urgent investigation. We reiterate our call to ensure that the lives, rights, safety and well-being of refugees and migrants are protected and put first."

Turkiye has long accused fellow NATO member Greece of pushing back migrants and asylum seekers and sinking their boats, saying it has evidence of the incidents.

The flow of migrants and refugees into the EU via Greece from Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere has tapered off since 2015-2016, when more than one million people took this route in search of a better life in Europe.

Turkiye hosts some four million Syrian refugees, the world's largest refugee population, in addition to some 300,000 Afghans. It has said it cannot accept any more migrants.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies 

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