The Watch The Med Alarmphone reports about a pushback from Greek waters to Turkey, which took place in the early morning hours of Friday, 21th July:
“On Friday the 21st of July 2017, at 5.03am, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a contact person to a group of 26 travellers, amongst them 2 children and a pregnant woman.. Continue reading Greek coastguards pushed boat carrying 26 people back to Turkey
Via Greekreporter – The Hellenic Coast Guard announced on Friday the rescue of more than 170 migrants in search-and-rescue operations in the Aegean in the past 24 hours. The operations took place off Samos and Lesvos islands, adding to the number of 11,000 of asylum seekers who landed on the Greek islands coming from Turkey this year. Continue reading Greek Coast Guard Rescues 170 Migrants in the Aegean
by Didem Danış, 5.7.2017
I saw lightning in the east
in a wink
then west
I saw the sun dripping
in its blood
and the sea agitated
and the past robbed of its books.
•••
Suffering Syrians, beautiful Syrians, Syrian brothers fleeing death.
You won’t reach the shores on rafts but will be born on beaches with the foam.
Lost gold dust you are, melted gold dust, scattered, dulled.
From abyss to abyss in the hollow of the sea of the Rum, with the star fish and her brother, the roving squid, the waves convey you under the light of Ursa Major, the Daughters of Na’sh.
From ‘Boat to Lesbos’, by Nouri Al-Jarrah
I came across Önder Tokuç, an artist based in Assos, whose “The Aegean Sea” collection has taken me back to the epic poem “Boat to Lesbos” written by Nouri Al-Jarrah. The Syrian poet who lives in exile since 1986 describes the Aegean Sea like a huge bloodstain. This was exactly what pushed Önder Tokuç to produce his powerful art works, consisting of ceramic statues and oil on canvas paintings.
Via Refugee Support Aegean – The Felony Appeal Court of Dodecanese in Rhodes decided yesterday that the young Syrian – sentenced initially to 25 years imprisonment (sentence to be served) in the Farmakonisi case – was guilty of the transportation of the refugees for being in command of the boat sailing towards Greece. The court acquitted him for the risk to life and the deaths of the passengers of the vessel that sunk on 20.01.2014 off the coast of Farmakonisi causing the death of 12 people including eight children for which he was sentenced on first instance. Continue reading Syrian acquitted for deaths of refugees in Farmakonisi case!