Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 18th of September 2020

Case name: 20200918-AEG709

Situation: Turkish coastguard confirming interception of 10 travellers after pushback by Greek coastguard

Status of WTM Investigation: concluded

Place of Incident: Aegean sea

Summary of the Case:

On Friday the 18th of September the Alarm Phone was alerted by a relative to a boat carrying 10 people, including one child. Our shift team was not able to establish direct communication with the travellers, and the relative was initially not able to inform us where the travellers were. The relative sent us the position of the travellers, showing that they were in Turkish waters. We also received a video of the travellers on a life raft along with the information that they had been pushed back by the Greek coastguard. The relative told us that the travellers now needed rescue, as they were left without food and water on the raft.

At 17.09h CET we called the rescue authorities in Ankara and passed on the information we had. Later in the evening we were informed that the travellers had been picked up by the Turkish coastguard at 17.15 and brought to Turkey, and that everyone was safe. The Turkish coastguard also informed us that they had received an email from the Greek coastguard, stating that they had pushed the travellers back into Turkish water and providing the Turkish coastguard the position where they had left them. This is not only a shameful but also an illegal practice, that the Greek coast guard perpetually carries our.