Turkey’s hybrid weapon in Evros

The incident with the rescue of the 38 irregular immigrants from a small islet in the Evros River in northeastern Greece developed into a mini domestic political crisis. The opposition discussed the incident in a high tone, accusing the government of indifference, inhumanity and even lack of patriotism.

It is true that the claims and handling of the situation by the Greek authorities didn’t add up from the beginning and they have been rightly criticized for this. That is because human life should be placed above all else, and if the islet were proven (according to military maps) to be ours, the migrants should, of course, have been rescued.

It is equally true, however, that disembarkations and desertions of migrants by Turkish traffickers or the Turkish Army on islands in the Evros River, as in this case, have been recorded since the borders were drawn. Complaints by humanitarian organizations that Greek police disembark and abandon migrants on such islets have also been published, though they are denied by the authorities.

In several cases, helpless, unfortunate people breathed their last breath while in the river or on tiny islets formed by river debris, and which are not recorded on the maps of either Greece or Turkey because they usually appear when the water levels are low and disappear when they rise.

There, on the unguarded “gray islets,” dramas often unfold. Forty-seven people have lost their lives crossing the river since the beginning of the year, as, even if a human presence is detected, the Turks do not care – since they themselves allowed them to attempt the crossing – while the Greeks, even if they want to show humanity, hesitate (or do not have the relevant instructions) to attempt to rescue them, for fear of being trapped by the Turks, which could lead to an incident with the neighboring country.

In this regard, the testimony of the woman from Syria, who was in the group that was trapped and rescued, presents the essence of the problem: She said they were transported against their will by the Turkish authorities from Istanbul to Evros and were “pushed” into the river. If Turkey prevents the caravans of migrants and refugees from moving toward the Evros – as it can and has committed to do in exchange for massive financial aid from Europe – things might calm down in the border region and dramas like the one on the islet near the village of Kissari will be limited. However, Turkey does not do this, because it uses the migrant flows as a hybrid weapon, and to deal with this Turkish threat, Greece has organized its border defense.

The situation in Evros is serious and complicated and we all need to be more careful, especially those who seem to be unaware of what is happening.