Turkey and Greece in Dispute Over Naked Migrants Incident

NATO allies Greece and Turkey are exchanging accusations following the rescue of 92 naked migrants near the two countries’ border. The United Nations is calling for a full investigation, while Greek authorities label Ankara's behavior a "disgrace to civilization." Turkey, on its part, has accused Greece of misconduct. This is according to Mk.ru.

The discovery of 92 naked migrants at the Greek-Turkish border over the weekend led to accusations between the two countries and condemnation from the UN.

Greek police reported that the migrants, some of whom were injured, were found naked near the northern border with Turkey on Saturday. It remains unclear how the men lost their clothing.

The migrants were first spotted near the Evros River, which marks the boundary between Greece and Turkey. The police stated that the investigation conducted in cooperation with representatives from the Greek police and the EU’s border agency Frontex revealed that the migrants crossed the river in inflatable boats from Turkey to enter Greek territory.

It was reported that the migrants told officers and Frontex staff that Turkish authorities forced them into three vehicles that transported them to the border. The migrants claimed they were allegedly made to strip before boarding. The Guardian noted that it could not independently verify this claim.

"Turkey's provocative behavior has crossed all limits," said Greece's Minister of Migration and Asylum. On Saturday, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi shared a photo on his social media pages allegedly showing more than 20 naked men fighting in an open area. Commenting in both Greek and English, the minister tweeted: "Turkey's behavior towards the 92 migrants we rescued today at the border is a disgrace to civilization. We expect Ankara to investigate the incident and ensure the security of its borders with the EU definitively."

In response, Turkey's Director of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, chief spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, branded the accusations as "baseless and ludicrous" in a series of tweets late Sunday evening. “The Greek fake news machine is at work once again,” the Turkish official wrote.

Responding to Mitarachi's account, Altun remarked that the story had "fabricated content" with the intent of "undermining our country." He added, "Greece has once again shown the world that it does not even respect the dignity of these oppressed people by publishing photos of the refugees it has deported."