11 June 2023; MEMO: Turkish security forces blocked the entry of a group of around 40 migrants who were attempted to be sent to Turkiye by Greece on Thursday, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the ministry said that Turkish troops detected a group of approximately 40 people advancing toward the Turkish border in the northwestern Edirne province.
"The group, who appeared to have been forcibly brought by an armed individual believed to be a Greek soldier, wanted to return to the Greek side when they saw the Turkish Armed Forces in front of them," the statement said.
It said that the armed individual who forcibly brought the refugees fired at least 15-20 shots into the air during the scuffle on the Greek side of the border.
Security sources stated that the Turkish troops, who maintained their vigilance and composure in response to the incident on the Greek side, observed the situation without intervening, and the group later dispersed and returned to the Greek side.
It was also revealed that empty bullet casings scattered around the area on the Greek side, where the incident took place, were detected by the border security cameras belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces.
Security sources pointed out that Greece, which has previously engaged in numerous pushbacks in the Aegean Sea and the land borders, is now carrying out these unwanted activities in large groups and accompanied by armed people, saying that these events could disrupt the peaceful atmosphere prevailing between the two countries since February.
Regarding the incident, a news article in the Greek media, attempting to cover up their unlawful actions under international law, claimed that the group was fired upon from the Turkish border. The information obtained revealed that the incident unfolded in the opposite manner.
Turkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
