Protesters in Istanbul Decry Migrant Deaths on Greek Border

Members of human rights and migrant rights groups hold placards in Turkish and English as they gather in front of the Greek consulate in Istanbul, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, to protest the deaths of migrants at Turkey-Greece border. (AP)
Members of human rights and migrant rights groups hold placards in Turkish and English as they gather in front of the Greek consulate in Istanbul, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, to protest the deaths of migrants at Turkey-Greece border. (AP)
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Protesters in Istanbul Decry Migrant Deaths on Greek Border

Members of human rights and migrant rights groups hold placards in Turkish and English as they gather in front of the Greek consulate in Istanbul, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, to protest the deaths of migrants at Turkey-Greece border. (AP)
Members of human rights and migrant rights groups hold placards in Turkish and English as they gather in front of the Greek consulate in Istanbul, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, to protest the deaths of migrants at Turkey-Greece border. (AP)

Hundreds of people in Istanbul marched to the Greek consulate on Saturday to protest the deaths of 19 migrants near Turkey´s border with Greece.

Turkish authorities said they froze to death earlier this week after being illegally pushed back across the border by Greek guards. Athens has strongly rejected the accusation.

The demonstration, organized by Turkish humanitarian groups, saw about 300 protesters walk to the consulate near one of Istanbul's main shopping streets behind a banner reading "Close borders to racism, open to humanity." Dozens of riot police stood by as aid workers addressed the crowd.

"People were stripped of their clothes and their belongings were taken. They were left to die and the whole world remains silent about this," said Fehmi Bulent Yildirim, chairman of IHH, a humanitarian aid group.

He called on the European Parliament to "take action on this issue as soon as possible and stop this cruel attitude that commits these crimes against humanity."

Kenan Alpay, vice chairman of humanitarian group Ozgur-Der, said the pushbacks showed "brutality beyond hypocrisy." He added: "We invite the Greek government to abandon these ugly policies."

Turkey has frequently alleged that Greece carries out pushbacks of migrants seeking to cross the northwestern land border or trying to reach Greece's Aegean islands on inflatable dinghys.

In an interview with broadcaster AHaber on Friday, Vice President Fuat Oktay accused Greece of "murder," adding that "all EU countries, unfortunately, are responsible for the deaths of 19 people."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to raise the alleged ill-treatment of migrants by Greece during his meetings with world leaders.

Greece's Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi has described the deaths as a "tragedy" but strongly denied the claim that Greek forces had pushed back the migrants, insisting that the migrants never made it to the border.

Turkey is a major crossing point for migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa seeking a better life in EU countries, with most crossing into Greece.

The EU, which saw 1 million mostly Syrian refugees enter its territory in 2015, signed a migration agreement with Turkey in 2016 that has seen the flow of people dramatically reduced.



Death Toll in Pakistan Building Collapse Rises to 27

Rescue workers recover a victim's body during a search operation amidst the debris of a collapsed building in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)
Rescue workers recover a victim's body during a search operation amidst the debris of a collapsed building in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)
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Death Toll in Pakistan Building Collapse Rises to 27

Rescue workers recover a victim's body during a search operation amidst the debris of a collapsed building in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)
Rescue workers recover a victim's body during a search operation amidst the debris of a collapsed building in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)

Rescue teams were in the final stages of clearing the wreckage of a five-story building that collapsed in Pakistan's mega city of Karachi killing 27 people, officials said Sunday.

Residents reported hearing cracking sounds shortly before the apartment block crumbled around 10:00 am on Friday in Karachi's impoverished Lyari neighborhood, which was once plagued by gang violence and considered one of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan.

"Most of the debris has been removed," Hassaan Khan, a spokesman for government rescue service 1122 told AFP, adding that the death toll stood at 27 on Sunday morning.

He expected the operation to finish by the afternoon.

Authorities said the building had been declared unsafe and eviction notices were sent to occupants between 2022 and 2024, but landlords and some residents told AFP they had not received them.

"My daughter is under the rubble," 54-year-old Dev Raj told AFP at the scene on Saturday.

"She was my beloved daughter. She was so sensitive but is under the burden of debris. She got married just six months ago."

Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and shoddy construction materials in the South Asian country of more than 240 million people.

But Karachi, home to more than 20 million, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of building regulations.