On Monday (August 22), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey has rescued tens of thousands of irregular immigrants who were illegally deported by Greece.
As a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to enter Europe to start a new life, especially those fleeing war and persecution, Turkey has repeatedly accused Greece of pushing boats carrying migrants back to Turkey from its territorial waters.
Erdogan said at an event in the capital Ankara: "With the efforts of our coast guard, we have avoided deaths in the Aegean Sea in the past two years. During the year, we saved the lives of 41,000 people abandoned by Greece. ”
Ankara and global human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal actions, saying they violate humanitarian values and international law and endanger people, including women and children. The lives of vulnerable migrants.
Athens has always denied human rights group and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) accusations that it is pushing migrants out of Greek waters, saying it intercepts ships at sea to protect its borders.
Erdogan said the number of irregular immigrants arrested by the Turkish Coast Guard Command has reached 245,000, adding that the gendarmerie will continue to crack down on irregular immigrants and human traffickers.
NATO members Turkey and Greece are at odds over a range of issues, including the ethnically divided island of Cyprus, the status of islands in the Aegean, maritime borders, oil and gas resources in the Mediterranean and immigration.
Erdogan said: "If anyone still criticizes our defense industry breakthrough despite the military buildup in Greece, it means that they are deprived of strategic vision."
He stressed: " Turkey will not criticize anyone person or No country breeds hostility. On the contrary, we hope to establish the best, most advanced and most sincere relations with every country and society. ”
He also said that Turkey’s goal is to build a zone of peace and cooperation around it, first and foremost. It is its close neighbor.
The president lashed out at those who criticized Turkey's counterterrorism operations in northern Syria and northern Iraq and remained silent while "other countries came from 10,000 kilometers away to intervene in Syria, Iraq and Libya" people.
Erdogan said: "If these countries continue to support terrorist organizations with ammunition, vehicles and equipment, Turkey will give them the necessary response 30 kilometers beyond its borders. If they are troubled by this, I'm sorry, They will be disturbed, and we will continue to advance . We have expanded the depth of Turkey's operations from Syria to Iraq. We are striking the hardest against terrorist groups in the areas where they feel safest. "
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