Tag Archives: Greek-Turkish border

News Digest

3 dead, 5 missing in attempt to escape Turkey’s post-coup crackdown

Via Turkish Minute – At least three people died and five others were missing after a boat carrying a group of eight capsized on Tuesday in the Maritsa River while seeking to escape a post-coup crackdown in Turkey.

According to Turkish media reports, the dead were identified as Ayşe Abdurrezzak, a 37-year-old teacher who was earlier dismissed from her job in the crackdown, and her children Abdulkadir Enes Abdurrezzak (11) and Halil Munir Abdurrezzak (3).

Photo: Turkey Purge

Continue reading 3 dead, 5 missing in attempt to escape Turkey’s post-coup crackdown →

News Digest

Tsipras speaks to Turkish PM amid increasing tension in Aegean

Via Ekathimerini – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim on Tuesday evening amid rising tension in the Aegean.

Tsipras reportedly told Yildirim that incidents such as the one on Monday night, when a Turkish coast guard boat rammed a Greek patrol vessel, undermine Turkey’s relations with Greece and the European Union and contravene international law.

The Greek leader called for Turkey to end its breaches of Greece’s air space and territorial waters and for there to be de-escalation in the region. Continue reading Tsipras speaks to Turkish PM amid increasing tension in Aegean →

News Digest

Turkish coast guard vessel rams Greek patrol boat off Imia

Via Ekathimerini – A Turkish patrol boat reportedly rammed a Greek coast guard vessel that was anchored off the island of Imia in the Aegean at around midnight on Monday.

The incident did not result in any no injuries but only minor damage to the stern of the Greek vessel, yet it serves to illustrate the heightened tension in the area where Greece and Turkey came on the brink of war 22 years ago. Continue reading Turkish coast guard vessel rams Greek patrol boat off Imia →

News Digest

50.000 irregular immigrants arrest in Edirne in 2017

Via Hürriyet (Link in Turkish) – A total of 50,000 migrants were caught while trying to cross to Greece or Bulgaria in Edirne throught the last year. Compared to the number of migrants caught in 2016 (31,000), the number of arrests increased by 19%. Among the arrested were around 15,000 Pakistanis, 12,000 Afghans and 10,000 Syrians. The number of Syrian refugees fleeing the war in their countries fell from 16,000 to 10,000 from 2016 to 2017. Further migrants from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and Iran had been arrested throughtout 2017. Continue reading 50.000 irregular immigrants arrest in Edirne in 2017 →

News Digest

Over 1,600 undocumented migrants detained across Turkey

Via Hürriyet Daily News-  A total of 1,632 undocumented migrants were detained across Turkey on Jan. 2, according to military figures.

Border troops detained a total of 1,556 migrants from Syria trying to illegally cross into Turkey, as well as five from Greece and two from Iran, according to the Turkish General Staff website. Turkey has been a main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe since the Syrian civil war begun.

Sixty-four migrants were also caught while trying to illegally enter Greece from Turkey, while five others were held at the Syrian border attempting to enter Syria.

News Digest

Migrant dies of hypothermia after being pushed back at the Greek-Turkish land border

Via Daily Sabah– Greece’s controversial “pushback” of migrants caught near the Turkish border led to the death of a Pakistani migrant, Turkish media outlets reported.

The 18-year-old man, identified as M.G., was among a group of migrants who snuck into Greece from Turkey. Greek border authorities sent him and the others back illegally via the Evros (Meriç) river and, according to fellow migrants, M.G. fell into the icy water. He was pulled back to the safety of the boat but became ill after being exposed to frigid temperatures. Continue reading Migrant dies of hypothermia after being pushed back at the Greek-Turkish land border →

News Digest

Former police officer, wife, 2 children detained near Greek border

Via The Turkey Purge – A former police chief, identified as E.S., was detained along with his wife and two children while they were allegedly escaping to Greece. Former vice president of the intelligence department at Eskisehir Police Headquarters, E.S. and his family were stopped by gendarmerie in Edirne’s Ipsala district. Continue reading Former police officer, wife, 2 children detained near Greek border →

Reporting on the Turkish-EU Border Regime