Greek President accuses Turkey of smuggling migrants into Europe

[flamer84]

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said Turkey was not doing enough to reduce the number of migrants arriving in Europe and accused Turkish port officials of helping people smugglers.

Turkey reached a deal with EU officials late last year to keep more refugees inside its borders and stop them traveling on. Thousands fleeing civil war in Syria have made the perilous journey from Turkey, across the Aegean Sea to Ankara's long-term regional rival Greece, many of them dying on the way.

"I greatly fear that Turkish people smugglers are getting support from the authorities," Pavlopoulos said in an interview with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung published on Monday.

"In particular, the port authorities act as if they don't notice anything. There are cases in which smugglers have supposedly been helped. We have evidence for this," he said.

Turkish officials were not immediately available to comment. Turkey says it is doing what it can to contain the movement of migrants and curb criminal smuggling gangs while accommodating more than 2 million Syrian refugees.

Pavlopoulos said Greece was still prepared to contribute towards the 3 billion euros ($3.27 billion) pledged by the EU to Turkey to help care for Syrian refugees as long as Ankara fulfilled its obligations.

"Up to now Turkey has not delivered," Pavlopoulos, who is due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later on Monday, told the paper.

The European Commission said earlier this month it was far from satisfied with Turkey's containment of migrants as the number of new arrivals to Europe remained far too high.

Greek president accuses Turkish port officials of helping people smugglers| Reuters


Well........duhhhh !!!

 

[Edevelop]

Greece accuses Turkey, Turkey accuses Greece... Pretty much no change in their relations and perhaps they will remain enemies till their existence.

 

[Aham Brahmasmi]

Greece accuses Turkey, Turkey accuses Greece... Pretty much no change in their relations and perhaps they will remain enemies till their existence.

finny thing is, both are part of NATO (Allies) and they have to watch each others back during war time.

with friends like these, who needs enemies ?

 

[damm1t]

Btw where all of Greek buddies of PDF lost? There were a few tho...

 

[Edevelop]

finny thing is, both are part of NATO (Allies) and they have to watch each others back during war time.

with friends like these, who needs enemies ?

The same thing is going to end up with Pakistan and India as SCO matures to a military block. But by enemy I meant more as a personal grudge. These type of countries just can't forget past wars.

 

[xenon54 out]

Yep definately the most reliable source regarding Turkey just after Sputnik News.

 

[-SINAN-]

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said Turkey was not doing enough to reduce the number of migrants arriving in Europe and accused Turkish port officials of helping people smugglers.

Port officials ??

Like refugees are using ports in the first place....smuggler's contribution is very small.... mostly refugees but zodiac boats, buys life vest and sails from secluded bays...

Before accusing us with baseless claims, they should answer for their crimes.

Rupturing refugee boat and living them to die.....very European. Maybe they should form death squads and shoot every refugee that lands on Greek Islands.

 

[flamer84]

Rupturing refugee boat and living them to die.....very European. Maybe they should form death squads and shoot every refugee that lands on Greek Islands.

Or maybe Turkey should stop acting like a pariah nation and flood Europe with them.You'd have to be truly naive to think that hundreds of thousands of them leave without permission from the Turkish state through "secluded bays".France has large shores to but i haven't seen boats leaving from there to UK packed with immigrants.

Everyone knows that Turkey is behind the flood,i'm amused that you think that this is a debate.It's not,it's a fact.

 

[-SINAN-]

Or maybe Turkey should stop acting like a pariah nation and flood Europe with them.You'd have to be truly naive to think that hundreds of thousands of them leave without permission from the Turkish state through "secluded bays".France has large shores to but i haven't seen boats leaving from there to UK packed with immigrants.

Everyone knows that Turkey is behind the flood,i'm amused that you think that this is a debate.It's not,it's a fact.

It's your fact, nothing more.... If it's so easy to avoid, form a EU task force and intercept them in Aegean Sea. Then we would see if it's easy or not.

^^ Nice example by the way.

 

[olcayto]

Or maybe Turkey should stop acting like a pariah nation and flood Europe with them.You'd have to be truly naive to think that hundreds of thousands of them leave without permission from the Turkish state through "secluded bays".France has large shores to but i haven't seen boats leaving from there to UK packed with immigrants.

Everyone knows that Turkey is behind the flood,i'm amused that you think that this is a debate.It's not,it's a fact.

Why the frick would migrants leave from France to U.K ?? Does that actually makes sense to you?? What kind of example is that?

Maybe you should use more sensible examples like Morroco-Spain or Tunis/Algeria-İtaly. Are these nations also purposely letting refugees out of their country?

 

[flamer84]

Why the frick would migrants leave from France to U.K ?? Does that actually makes sense to you?? What kind of example is that?

Maybe you should use more sensible examples like Morroco-Spain or Tunis/Algeria-İtaly. Are these nations also purposely letting refugees out of their country?

Better do your homework before speaking.They're trying to reach the UK because it has better welfare packages,hence the crowds storming Calais every day.Luckily,unlike Turkey ,France is a responsible nation and stops them.

@Vauban


Ofcourse,Turkey is powerless but if it's given 3 billion euros/year and the visas are lifted it can stop the flow.....lol

 

[olcayto]

Better do your homework before speaking.They're trying to reach the UK because it has better welfare packages,hence the crowds storming Calais every day.Luckily,unlike Turkey ,France is a responsible nation and stops them.

@Vauban

You are comparing a 600 km sea shore with a train tunnel. İt would be very incompetent to not be able to stop that in the first place.
İt seems time has been too harsh on your common sense.

 

[Worf]

Crossing the channel is one thing, crossing to an Greek island within sight is another.

 

[flamer84]

You are comparing a 600 km sea shore with a train tunnel. İt would be very incompetent to not be able to stop that in the first place.
İt seems time has been too harsh on your common sense.

They storm Calais because the French state doesn't let them to board boats willy nilyy like Turkey does.Anyway,you're argiung in vain,there's nobody in Europe that doesn't allready know that Turkey is state sponsoring this flow.The Sultan sees it as a bargaining tool and usefull in spreading the faith.

 

[-SINAN-]

They storm Calais because the French state doesn't let them to board boats willy nilyy like Turkey does.Anyway,you're argiung in vain,there's nobody in Europe that doesn't allready know that Turkey is state sponsoring this flow.The Sultan sees it as a bargaining tool and usefull in spreading the faith.

Lol, even after we explained the sitation, showed you visuals, showed you maps....you are repeating the same thing over and over. You sound like Iranian zealots.

Greek Island from Turkish shore, their Islands are this close.

Ofcourse,Turkey is powerless but if it's given 3 billion euros/year and the visas are lifted it can stop the flow.....lol

No, we can't stop the flow....we can just give refugees better conditions with EU funds that's all.