The Greek authorities aired a video on Tuesday (November 9) showing a rubber dinghy full of migrants and escorted by two Turkish ships, which they said was trying to force it into Greek waters.
Athens often accuses Ankara of not taking enough action to deter smugglers, who violated the 2016 agreement with the European Union to send migrants from its coast with unsafe ships and boats.
The EU and Ankara signed an agreement in March 2016 under which Turkey will drastically reduce immigration into EU countries Bulgaria and Greece through its territory in exchange for billions of euros in financial aid.
Both Greece and Turkey have accused each other of failing to comply with the agreement signed after more than 1 million immigrants and asylum seekers entered the European Union in 2015.
The Coast Guard said in a statement: “The video undoubtedly shows the dangerous manoeuvres conducted by Turkish Coast Guard vessels to guide small boats into Greek waters east of Lesbos.”
Greek Maritime Minister Giannis Plakiotakis said: “Turkey has once again acted like a’pirate country’ in the Aegean Sea and violated its agreement with the European Union.”
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused Turkey of “facilitating immigration” during a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Mark Rutte, who was on an official visit to Athens.
“Yes, we are intercepting ships from Turkey because we have the right to do so in accordance with European regulations and wait for the Turkish Coast Guard to pick them up and return to Turkey,” Mizotakis said. The reporter asked about the so-called Greek counterattack.
“So, instead of blaming Greece, it’s better to blame it on those who have been systematically using immigration.”
A one-minute video seen by Agence France-Presse showed two Turkish ships making a sharp turn in front of a small boat carrying at least 15 migrants.
Then you can see the ships and boats returning to the Turkish coast.
The video was made public five days after Cornelia Ernst, a member of the German European Parliament, and a team visited the Greek island of Samos to investigate Greece’s handling of immigrants.
Ernst said the team found five Somali immigrants who had been hiding after arriving the night before and handed them over to the Greek police.
She said in a tweet: “I know very well that by finding them and handing them over to the Greek police, potential resistance can be prevented.”
Ernst added: “I’ve read too many well-documented counterattacks. I can’t believe that if we are not there, they can apply for asylum.”
Greek Immigration Minister Notis Mitarachi has ordered an investigation.
Greece’s strict border controls have been criticized by human rights organizations, that is, the Greek Coast Guard has been illegally forcing immigrants to return to Turkey, their main departure point, in shaky ships.
Athens has always denied these allegations, insisting that saving lives at sea is the top priority of the Greek Coast Guard.
