Turkey slams 'ill treatment of refugees' by Greece

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s Communications Directorate slammed the "ill treatment of refugees" by Greece early Saturday.

In a statement to the CNN International network, Communication Director Fahrettin Altun responded to claims by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that Ankara is "assisting" thousands of migrants on its border get into Europe.

"We categorically reject Prime Minister Mitsotakis' allegations and we are deeply concerned about the ill treatment of, and the use of lethal force against, refugees by this country's law enforcement and border security agents," Altun said.

He said Turkey hosts more refugees than any other country and has been a "bulwark against irregular migration from Syria and elsewhere."

He reiterated that Ankara has repeatedly complained that Europe has failed to keep its promises under a 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal to help migrants and stem further migrant waves

"The European Union has failed to keep its promises, including financial aid and voluntary humanitarian admission, under the 2016 agreement. As a result, Turkey had to divert its resources away from stopping the refugee flow to Europe and instead prepare for a potential influx from Idlib. Instead of playing the blame game, we urge Greece and the rest of the international community to address the root cause of irregular migration, namely the ongoing civil war in Syria."

Turkey recently announced it would no longer try to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe.

Thousands of asylum seekers have since flocked to Turkey’s Edirne province -- which borders Greece and Bulgaria -- to make their way to Europe.

The Greek reaction to the asylum seekers has been harsh, with many battered, attacked, tear-gassed and several killed by Greek forces.

Turkey, which already hosts nearly 4 million Syrian migrants, more than any other country in the world, said it cannot absorb another refugee wave.