dw.com | 10 November 2021|
Greece accuses Turkey of pushing migrants into its waters
Greek authorities have released a video of Turkish boats appearing to escort a rubber dinghy filled with migrants into Greek territorial waters.
Athens frequently blames Ankara for failing to crack down on smugglers who send out migrants in unsafe boats from its shores in breach of a 2016 accord with the European Union.
Under the accord, Turkey was to reduce the flow of migrants through its territory to EU countries such as Greece in return for billions in financial aid.
What did Greek authorities say about the video?
"The video shows without a doubt the efforts of Turkish coast guard vessels to make dangerous maneuvers to guide the dinghy to Greek waters," the Greek Coast Guard said in a statement accompanying the video.
The statement added that the coast guard prevented the migrants from entering Greek waters. The Turkish vessel and dinghy eventually headed back to the Turkish coast.
Greek Maritime Affairs Minister Giannis Plakiotakis accused Turkey of acting like a "pirate state in the Aegean Sea, breaching its engagements with the European Union."