Turkish officers carry our bodies of migrants discovered frozen to demise within the Pasakoy village of Ipsala District, lower than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Greek border.
By Isil Sariyuce and Joshua Berlinger | CNN
Twelve migrants had been discovered useless in a small Turkish city close to the border with Greece, officers mentioned Wednesday, per week after a uncommon winter storm blanketed each international locations in snow.
Turkish Inside Minister Suleyman Soylu mentioned the dozen migrants froze to demise in Ipsala, a border city typically utilized by migrants searching for to enter the European Union.
The place the migrants got here from and why they had been stranded in frigid situations stays unclear, however Greece and Turkey have blamed one another for the tragedy.
Soylu alleged on Twitter that the group was turned away by Greek border officers and stripped of their sneakers and clothes. He tweeted blurred pictures that appeared to indicate the useless our bodies of not less than eight people, partially clothed and mendacity within the mud.
Soylu referred to as the Greek border patrol and items thugs, and mentioned the European Union was “remediless, weak and void of humane emotions.”
Greek Immigration Minister Notis Mitarachi, nevertheless, denied Soylu’s allegations of wrongdoing.
“The demise of 12 migrants on the Turkish border close to Ipsala is a tragedy,” he mentioned in an announcement. “However the fact behind this incident bears no resemblance to the false propaganda pushed out by my counterpart.”
Mitarachi mentioned that the migrants “by no means made it to the border.”
“Any suggestion they did, or certainly had been pushed again into Turkey is utter nonsense,” he mentioned. “Relatively than pushing out unfounded claims Turkey must stay as much as its obligations and work to stop these harmful journeys.”
The Greek overseas ministry didn't instantly reply to CNN’s request for remark about Turkey’s allegations.
The 12 migrants had been a part of a gaggle of twenty-two. Regional authorities mentioned in an announcement that they're nonetheless looking for the remaining 10 and that they've opened an investigation into the incident.
The Council of Europe and migrants themselves have for years alleged that the Greek Coast Guard and border patrols push again migrants, generally at sea. Although the United Nations Human Rights Company has documented “credible reviews” of such incidents, the Greek authorities has repeatedly denied them.