Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 29th of May 2022

Case name: 2022_05_29-EasternMed907

Situation: Around 150 travelers in distress on their way to Cyprus, intercepted by the Turkish coastguard and mistreated while in detention.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Sunday the 29th of May 2022, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of around 150 travelers, including around 60 women and 17 children, in distress in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The travelers had left from around Mersin and were on their way to Cyprus. We managed to reach the travelers who told us that their engine was no longer working and that water was entering their boat. The travelers were not equipped with life vests and had no food or water onboard. We could hear that they were panicking and people were screaming in the background during our calls. We immediately alerted the Turkish rescue authorities to the distress situation, forwarding all the information we had. The Turkish rescue authorities confirmed that they were initiating a search and rescue operation. At 00.55 CEST the next morning the travelers told us that they could see a coast guard vessel approaching. At 01.27 CEST the Turkish coastguard confirmed that they had intercepted the travellers, but that two of the travelers had jumped into the water, and that rescue efforts were still ongoing for these people. A couple of hours later, we received confirmation that the rescue was complete.

During the following days we learned from the travelers that they had been severely mistreated while detained in Turkey. Furthermore, three of the travelers were facing criminalisation, accused of driving the boat.

"They booked us for about 4 hours in the coast guard yard with the sun above us and they were swearing at us and then telling us to the soccer field and we stayed there about two nights where there are a lot of flies and dirt and no drinking water We used to drink toilet water when they let us By going to the toilet, the situation was catastrophic. Then they took us to a border area between Syria and Turkey and threatened us to return to Syria.

Everyone is fine and we have been released from custody, but there are about 26 people of Palestinian nationality left until today. Their detention is not empty."

We condemn the violent and illegal practices of the Coast Guards at sea and on land and we will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of this group and all people on the move – For the right to freedom of movement!