Turkish official slams EU on killing of asylum-seekers

By Cigdem Munibe Alyanak

ISTANBUL (AA) – A senior Turkish official has criticized harshly the European Union over the killing of several asylum-seekers as they tried to cross into Greece along Turkey's northwestern borders.

"The killing of unarmed, defenseless asylum-seekers by Greek soldiers has been a clear example of the grave consequences of moving away from humanitarian policies," Cagatay Ozdemir told an international Istanbul conference on Syria's Idlib.

"The European Union, which preaches human rights to the world, has shamelessly patted on the back of uniformed bandits who punctured plastic boats carrying children in rough seas," Ozdemir said.

On Wednesday, Greek police and border units opened fire on asylum-seekers trying to enter the country from northwestern Turkey, killing one and injuring five others, according to Turkish officials.

Blaming the EU for failing to keep its promises to help asylum-seekers, Turkey recently loosened its policy on irregular migration, allowing them to seek entrance into Europe.

Turkey currently hosts over 3.7 million Syrians, making it the world's top refugee-hosting country.

“Today, while hoping for a consensus in talks in Moscow, on the other hand, we remain committed to not leaving millions of innocent people at the mercy of a bloody war criminal," Ozdemir said.

Earlier today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Russia visit kicked off as he departed from capital Ankara to Moscow.

The president was set to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his day-long visit.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the recent developments in Syria, including cease-fire violations in the Idlib de-escalation zone, a stronghold of opposition forces in the war-torn country since 2011.