Greece protested in Istanbul
Members of non-governmental organizations left posters protesting the freezing death of irregular migrants in front of the Greek Consulate General in Istanbul.
Members of some non-governmental organizations in Istanbul protested against Greece after 19 irregular migrants froze to death after being pushed back across the border.
Members of the IHH, Özgür-Der, International Refugee Rights Association, MAZLUMDER, AKMER, Davet, Mustu Youth and Rahmet Yolu associations, who came in front of the Greek Consulate General in Istanbul, chanted slogans condemning the pushing of irregular migrants to their deaths with banners in their hands.
The Chairman of the Human Rights and Freedoms (IHH) Humanitarian Relief Foundation Bülent Yıldırım said in a statement that in the modern age, people were massacred in front of everyone and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was completely destroyed.
Stating that Europe opened itself to questioning on this issue, Yıldırım said:
"At the moment, Greece is not doing this alone. The joint decision and will of Europe reveals these pushbacks. They usurp everything on people and condemn them to cold. In the Mediterranean in summer, here in winter... they were left to die with their existence taken away and now the whole world is silent about it.
I am calling here; To the human rights organizations in Europe, to everyone who is sensitive about this issue in Europe, to other sensitive parliamentarians in the European Parliament, if any, take action on this issue as soon as possible and put a stop to this cruel attitude that commits this crime against humanity.
"This is more than hypocrisy, its brutality"
Kaya Kartal, Chairman of MAZLUMDER, stated that people started to freeze to death after the Mediterranean became a refugee graveyard and called on human rights organizations in Europe and Greece to take action to stop this crime.
Özgür-Der Deputy Chairman Kenan Alpay said that they gathered to protest the barbaric policies implemented by Greece against refugees and immigrants.
Reminding that Greece hosts those who attempted a coup in Turkey and fled with their guns, Alpay said, "If he does not extradite them to Turkey, but sees torture and freezing death to the oppressed people coming from all over, if he sees drowning in the Aegean Sea, then this is the case. Its name is more than hypocrisy, it is brutality. We do not accept this savagery, this barbarism. We definitely invite the Greek government to abandon these ugly policies."
Abdullah Demir, Chairman of the International Refugee Rights Association, read the joint press statement on behalf of the associations participating in the protest.
After the banners protesting the freezing death of irregular immigrants were left in front of the Consulate General, the group dispersed.
