A Turkish statement says that the Greek coast guard has taken the migrants’ belongings. Then the seven would have been handcuffed with tie wraps and chased back into the sea without a life jacket or inflatable boat.
Greece has not yet responded to the allegations.
Just today, Turkish President Erdogan held a video conference with EU leaders on cooperation and stability in the region. Next week, relations with Turkey are on the agenda of an EU summit.
Forcibly returning migrants from Greece to Turkey has been taking place for years, for a long time mainly at the country’s border but later also at sea. Human rights organizations argue that these are so-called pushbacks on a large scale take place. They also complain that European countries and the European Union are keeping quiet about the practices.
Correspondent Mitra Nazar accompanied the Turkish coast guard last year. This is what she saw:
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