Turkey slams Greece, EU for inhuman treatment toward migrants

Turkey has accused Greece of pushing back migrants through inhuman ways as a state policy and the European Union of turning a blind eye to this blatant violation of human rights after 19 migrants froze to death after being pushed back by Greek authorities in the past weeks.

"How can such a behavior be explained? Who is going to say 'Stop' to this? Where are the defenders of human rights in Europe?" Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said at a press conference with visiting Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on Feb. 8 in the Turkish capital.

Some 19 migrants from different countries died from the cold after being forcefully sent back to Turkey by Greek security officials. Turkey has long been criticizing Greece for pushing back irregular migrants by putting their lives at risk in the middle of the Aegean Sea. Turkish coastal guards filmed that Greek navy and other security bodies opened fire and tried to sink the migrant boats in the Aegean. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently said he will show these footages to his interlocutors at every bilateral meeting.

Çavuşoğlu said Greece continued this policy of pushing back the migrants and has already turned it into state policy at the expense of blatantly violating international laws and human rights. "Don't misunderstand me. I am not making these criticisms because Turkey and Greece have disagreements. We discuss them in different bilateral mechanisms. But I make these criticisms because it is a humanitarian issue," he said.

Along with Greece, which Turkish authorities believe is responsible for the deaths of the migrants, the EU also should feel responsible because its border security body, Frontex, is ignoring this inhuman treatment, the Turkish foreign minister said, recalling that...