Türkiye urges Greece to stop ‘harsh treatment’ of refugees

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Turkish communications director on Sunday urged Greece to stop its “harsh treatment” of refugees.

“We urge Greece to abandon its harsh treatment of refugees as soon as possible, to cease its baseless and false charges against Türkiye, and to deliver the dignity of government,” Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.

He said that “the Greek machine of fake news is back at work" as the Greek minister for immigration "attempted to cast suspicion on our country by sharing false information."

His remarks come a day after Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi accused Türkiye of misbehaving with 92 refugees on the Greek-Turkish border on Twitter, and also shared a photo of naked men.

“With these futile and ridiculous efforts, Greece has shown once again to the entire world that it does not respect the dignity of refugees by posting these oppressed people’s pictures it has deported after extorting their personal possessions,” Altun said.

“The Greek authorities must first account for the infants they caused to drown in the Aegean, as well as the people they stripped naked, beaten with belts, and left to freeze to death in Maritsa through their complicity with Frontex,” he added.

Greece has long pursued the illegal policy of pushing back asylum seekers trying to reach its shores as an entry point to Europe.

Human rights groups and leading media outlets have frequently reported the pushbacks and other human rights breaches of Greek authorities that violate EU and international laws.

Türkiye and rights groups have also condemned the practice, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.