MADRID, 12 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Turkish authorities have claimed to have intercepted more than 200 migrants on their territory during the last 24 hours, including about 135 by the Coast Guard in the Aegean Sea, and have reiterated their criticism of Greece for its migration management.
Security sources cited by the Turkish state news agency Anatolia have indicated that the Coast Guard has rescued more than 140 people in the Aegean Sea, including 35 people whose boats were allegedly pushed back into Turkish waters by Athens.
Furthermore, more than 60 migrants have been intercepted by the security forces during an operation in Antalya province in which the authorities are looking for several human smugglers. The migrants have been handed over to the immigration authorities to analyze their situation.
Turkey has charged heavily against Greece in recent months, accusing Athens of illegally expelling vessels arriving from Turkish shores from its waters. The Greek government granted Turkey the category of “safe country” last week, so that people from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia will no longer be able to request asylum in the country if they arrive through Turkish territory.
In March 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkey agreed that all migrants arriving on the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean would be relocated to Turkey if their asylum applications were rejected.
Tension has risen in recent months in the eastern Mediterranean area as Greece and Turkey engage in a maritime dispute over hydrocarbon exploration in the area. The two countries are also at odds over Cyprus.
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