Deputy Minister of Interior Ismail Çataklı reacted harshly to Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi after he targeted Türkiye using a photograph from 2019 of immigrants who were robbed, stripped naked and left to die by Greek security forces at the border.
In response to the Greek minister, Çataklı stated: "You (Greece) are trying to make the picture of your persecution look like it was Türkiye ... Try to become a little civilized!"
In line with Greece's increased provocations and baseless accusations, this time an old photograph of immigrants who were robbed by Greek security forces and left to die at the border was used to falsely accuse Ankara of "mistreatment."
"Since you can't find a single human rights violation in Türkiye, you are trying to make the picture of your own persecution look like it was Türkiye! Spend the time you spare for manipulations and dishonesty in observing human rights! Come on, it's not hard; become a little civilized!" stated Çataklı.
Türkiye and human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back irregular migrants, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
In recent years, hundreds of thousands have made short but perilous journeys across the Aegean to reach Northern and Western Europe in search of a better life. Hundreds of people have died at sea as many boats carrying refugees sank or capsized. The Turkish Coast Guard Command has rescued thousands of others.
Pushbacks are contrary to international refugee protection agreements, which dictate that people should not be expelled or returned to a country where their life and safety might be in danger due to their race, religion, nationality or membership in a social or political group.
The head of the Migration Management Directorate, Savaş Ünlü, similarly criticized Greece on the same day, writing on Twitter that: "There is no single case or report that cites such an inhumane treatment by Türkiye against innocent people."
"Your attempt to conceal the OLAF report on human rights violations is not suprising, but just ashaming. That can’t be a coincidence," he added.
Greece’s accusations toward Türkiye come days after a much-anticipated report by the European Union’s anti-fraud watchdog, OLAF, said that employees of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) have been covering up Greece’s illegal pushbacks of migrants to Türkiye in violation of peoples’ "fundamental rights."
The 120-page OLAF report was made public Thursday by the Germany-based freedom of information portal FragDenStaat together with media organizations Der Spiegel and Lighthouse Reports.
Top managers at Frontex committed "serious misconduct and other irregularities" in covering up incidents, not investigating or handling them correctly, the report found, but names were redacted.
Frontex officers also may not have reported alleged pushbacks due to fear of repercussions from Greece, the report said.
Both Greece and Frontex have denied any wrongdoing until now but the OLAF report raises questions about whether Frontex will continue operating in Greece.