UPDATE - Türkiye lambastes Greece for slander over migrants

UPDATE WITH MORE QUOTES BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye on Monday lashed out at Greece for falsely accusing Ankara of mistreating migrants, calling Athens "shameless.”

"Known for its record on violations of international law, it is natural for Greece to attempt to slander Türkiye as its own crimes multiply," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference after a meeting in Istanbul of foreign ministers of the Council of Turkic States.

His remarks came when he was asked about Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi accusing Türkiye of mistreating 92 refugees on the Greek-Turkish border, sharing a photo on Twitter of men who had been stripped of their clothes.

Cavusoglu said four more migrants were pulled out of the Aegean Sea in the past week, adding that such incidents are happening in the middle of the sea as refugee boats are skewered and people are left to die.

"There are EU member states that deem everything Greece says true. This is what encourages Greece," the top diplomat said.

The Turkish foreign minister further noted that the migration issue is a humanitarian and social issue, but that it has recently been abused by some politicians and turned into a political problem.

On Sunday, the Turkish communications director hit back at Notis, saying “the Greek machine of fake news is back at work … (trying) to cast suspicion on our country by sharing false information."

“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 stealing their personal possessions,” Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.

“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,” he added.

Türkiye and human rights groups have documented numerous cases of migrants trying to cross the border to Greece being beaten, stripped, and their belongings stolen.

Greece has long pursued an 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, which 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.

- Relations with Armenia

Asked about ties with Armenia, Cavusoglu affirmed that any positive step in Azerbaijan-Armenia relations will inevitably help Ankara's relations with Yerevan.

He further voiced Türkiye’s readiness to meet with Armenia on "all platforms," adding that Ankara is "sincere" about normalizing ties with Yerevan.

Türkiye and Armenia last December appointed special representatives for talks on normalizing ties, with the first meeting held in Moscow on Jan. 14. The parties have held four meetings so far.

As part of normalization efforts, this February Türkiye and Armenia resumed commercial flights after a two-year hiatus.

Regarding the extraordinary meeting of the Council, Cavusoglu said the main item on the agenda was preparing for the upcoming summit in Uzbekistan's Samarkand city next month.

He reaffirmed the importance of the Turkic world and said it has become the "center of global geopolitics," which increases the "importance and responsibilities" of the Council, Cavusoglu added.

"In order to lead the events, rather than letting the events lead us, we need to be active and take quick decisions and quick steps," Cavusoglu affirmed.