Turkey, Greece discuss migration, security issues in Ankara
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis met in the capital Ankara Tuesday as the issue of irregular migration continues to stoke tensions between the neighbors.
The two ministers and their accompanying delegations met behind closed doors to discuss migration, the fight against terrorism and security issues, sources told Anadolu Agency (AA).
The two NATO allies are at odds over a number of issues including competing claims over jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean, air space, energy, the ethnically split island of Cyprus and the status of islands in the Aegean.
Most recently, Mitarakis claimed that Turkey was not abiding by the terms of a pact signed with Brussels in 2016. The Greek minister had also said that the Aegean Sea must be cleared of refugee boats and people smugglers.
Turkey, on the other hand, has repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back asylum-seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
Turkey’s five Aegean provinces – Çanakkale, Balıkesir, Izmir, Muğla and Aydın – are prime spots for refugees leaving Turkey for the European Union, with Greek islands lying within sight of the Turkish coast.
