Almost 100 migrants were picked up at the Greek-Turkish border on Friday - all naked. Now both countries accuse each other of being responsible. The refugees report that they were put in inflatable boats by Turkish authorities.
Greece and Turkey have blamed each other for an incident involving 92 naked migrants at their shared border. The government in Athens again condemned the incident at the border river Evros. It was an "inhuman image" and "barbaric behavior reminiscent of the Middle Ages," said Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos on Skai.
According to Greek ministries, 92 migrants were picked up on Friday who are said to have been driven naked from Turkey across the border river to Greece. Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli then tweeted that the news was fabricated. "Spend your time respecting human rights, not manipulation and dishonesty!" Catakli wrote on Saturday night. Because Greece could not find a single violation of human rights by Turkey, attempts are now being made to foist Turkey's own cruelty on.
Greek authorities and media published a photo with naked migrants. Some of the people said they were taken to the river in three vehicles owned by the Turkish authorities and put in rubber boats to cross the river. Some are said to have suffered injuries, according to a statement from the Greek police. The migrants were clothed and cared for. The people are said to come from Afghanistan, Syria and Pakistan.
According to the Ministry of Citizen Protection, officials from the EU border protection agency Frontex were also on site on the Greek side. Frontex itself did not confirm the incident when asked at the weekend. The responsible EU authorities have been comprehensively informed, it said in Athens. Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said Ankara was expected to investigate the incident.
Athens wants to almost completely seal off the border on the Evros River in the north-east of the country because of the increased number of illegal border crossings from Turkey. The existing 35 kilometers of border fence along the river are currently being extended by 80 kilometers. Not only on the Evros, but also in the eastern Aegean, Greek border guards had recently recorded a significant increase in the number of refugees.
