Greece blames Turkey’s inaction for two deadly shipwrecks

Greece said that Ankara’s unwillingness to implement the agreements it has signed with the European Union to prevent migrant boats from reaching European shores is the reason behind the two deadly shipwrecks off the islands of Lesvos and Kythira on Wednesday night, which have so far resulted in at least 21 dead.

“As long as Turkey does not apply the laws, as long as it backs traffickers, as long as it does not honor the agreements it has signed, we will unfortunately also be faced with such tragedies,” government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou told journalists at a regular briefing on Thursday. 

“What happened yesterday by the traffickers is a criminal act,” he said, referring to the traffickers’ decision to force migrants in a boat with gale-force winds.