Turkey's Erdogan orders halt to boats crossing Aegean
March 7, 2020
The Turkish president has ordered his coast guard to prevent migrants and refugees from crossing the Aegean Sea. Erdogan has triggered a migrant crisis at the Greek border by falsely informing people the border was open.
Image: Reuters/A. Konstantinidis
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the coast guard to prevent migrants and refugees crossing the Aegean Sea, the agency said on Friday.
"On the orders of the president... permission will not be given for migrants to cross the Aegean sea because it is dangerous," the coast guard said on Twitter on Friday.
"The approach of not intervening against migrants wishing to leave Turkey remains in practice but this (new) approach covers sea crossings because of the dangers."
Greece has accused Turkey of using the migrants and refugees as pawns in a political game, while the Turkish side has accused Greece of endangering migrants' lives by damaging their boats in the water.
Turkey hosts nearly 4 million refugees from the Syrian war, and has a deal with the EU to prevent them from moving into the bloc.
Turkey claims the EU has failed to honor its promises and also wants support in Syria where it is fighting Russian-backed Syrian government forces.
Tensions at Turkey-Greece border
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Tens of thousands of people have attempted to cross into the country, mainly through the land border, but also via the Aegean Sea into Lesbos.
Heavy-handed tactics
Greece has met crossing attempts with heavy-handed tactics, firing tear gas and water cannons to drive people back.
On Saturday, three-way clashes erupted when Europe-bound migrants reportedly threw rocks at authorities and attempted to pull down a fence. Greek police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, only to have their Turkish counterparts fire tear gas back at them. Two migrants were injured.
The fresh border surge has evoked memories of the 2015 migrant crisis, when more than 1 million refugees and migrants poured into Europe, prompting a surge in populist, right-wing politics.
Erdogan will travel to Brussels on Monday for a one-day working visit, his office announced on Saturday, without specifying who he would meet with.
Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits
This year, so far, has seen a huge influx of refugees arriving in Lesbos. Conditions in the Moria camp are steadily becoming worse and refugees are often left to their own devices.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
A view from above
Moria refugee camp has a capacity of 3,000. Currently, some 14,500 refugees are squeezed into the infamous refugee camp, Greece's largest reception and identification center.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
Deep wounds
A large majority of those who live in Moria have been deemed as vulnerable and are in need of immediate medical assistance. This girl from Gaza, who lives with her family in a tent in the olive grove outside Moria, was severely injured when an Israeli rocket hit her home.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
A false dawn?
In August more than 2,800 people arrived in dinghies on the island of Lesbos. A boat carrying 40 people was brought into the port of Skala Sikamineas after it was intercepted by Frontex, the EU's border agency. Eight women and 18 children, including five unaccompanied minors, were on board along with 14 men, all from Afghanistan.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
The wait begins
After the women and children have been transferred to a transit camp, 18 men wait to be taken away to the same camp by the authorities. Volunteers with the NGO Lighthouse relief assist the authorities in providing food and water to those who have recently arrived.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
Keeping the tradition alive
An Afghan woman makes bread in a makeshift underground oven which she then sells for €1 ($1.10) to other refugees. Due to deteriorating conditions and food provisions that are below standard quality many refugees who remain for long in the camp of Moria have found new ways to pass the day and remember home.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
A soothing hand
Countless refugees need urgent medical attention. Doctors without Borders operate an emergency clinic opposite Moria for the most urgent cases, as the main camp currently only has one doctor and the hospital of Mytilene is overwhelmed and in some cases unwilling to treat refugees.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
Discarded dreams
A "graveyard" of life jackets and boats on the island's north is a stark reminder of the last huge influx of refugees in 2015/16. Lesbos has been at the center of the refugee crisis for years as thousands of people have landed on its shores. Currently there are more than 11,000 refugees spread across the islands. That number is expected to rise sharply by the end of the year.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
Monotonous routine
Waiting in line has become the main daily activity for those stuck in Moria limbo — even for children. Some wait for hours in order to receive food and water.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
From the frying pan into the fire
A group of refugees prepares to board a ship which will take them to mainland Greece. After the sudden arrival of 600 people in one night, the Greek government decided to transfer 1,400 people to the mainland. Most were taken to the camp of Nea Kavala in a remote village in northern Greece.
Image: DW/D. Tosidis
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The announcement came just hours after EU foreign ministers criticized Turkey for using the migrants' and refugees' desperation "for political purposes."
Erdogan reportedly told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that the Turkey-EU migration deal is no longer working and needs to be revised.
