Turkey accuses Greece of pushbacks after saving migrants from three boats

Turkey’s interior ministry said that two inflatable boats with 37 people and 47 people on board respectively were rescued off the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday (July 1). Another boat with 11 people was intercepted near the Turkish port city of Izmir the same day.

Officials provided no details on the countries of origin of the 95 migrants but accused Greece of being complicit in the migrants being found floating at sea.

Read more: Turkey continues to host more refugees than anyone else, but for how long?

Trading blame

For years, Turkey has been accusing Greek authorities of carrying out pushbacks at sea by driving migrant boats back into Turkish waters. 

This would be in violation of international law, as it means a deliberate refusal of allowing people to lodge asylum claims, which everyone is entitled to under the 1951 Geneva Convention.

Greece meanwhile accuses Turkey of not doing its share in stopping irregular migrants from leaving its shores. Under a 2016 agreement with the EU, Turkey is supposed to help stem the flow of migrants into Europe in exchange for cash.

Read more: More deaths on Eastern Mediterranean route to Greece

Deaths at sea

As the two countries trade accusations, people continue to die in the Aegean Sea on a regular basis.

Last month, a fishing trawler carrying hundreds of migrants capsized in Greek waters off the southern island of Pylos. Only 104 people managed to survive the event; 82 bodies have been found so far but up to 600 others remain missing and are presumed dead.

Read more: Greece: Questions continue mounting over final hours before migrant ship sank

with AFP