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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)
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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.

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India Votes in Final Phase of Elections as Both Modi and Rahul Gandhi Eye Victory

Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
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India Votes in Final Phase of Elections as Both Modi and Rahul Gandhi Eye Victory

Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

India voted on Saturday in the final phase of a long-drawn general election, held in record summer heat in many parts, as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his challengers said they would win the polls centered mostly on inequality and religion.
The seven-phase vote, in which nearly a billion people were eligible to cast their ballots, began on April 19 and will end with polling in the last 57 seats - including in Modi's constituency in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, said Reuters.
More than 100 million people are registered to vote across eight states and federal territories on Saturday, including in the northern state of Punjab and the eastern states of Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha.
"Calling upon the voters to turnout in large numbers and vote," Modi said as polls opened. "Together, let's make our democracy more vibrant and participative."
Modi is seeking a rare, third straight term as prime minister as his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) battles an opposition alliance of two dozen parties led by the Congress, and is widely expected to win a majority.
But he and his party have run into a spirited campaign by the opposition alliance called 'INDIA' or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, sowing some doubt about whether Modi's expected victory would come easily.
Scorching summer temperatures with unusually high heatwaves have compounded voter fatigue in the majority-Hindu country of 1.4 billion people, where unemployment and inflation are the main concerns for voters.
Nearly two dozen election officials died of suspected heatstroke in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the vote on Friday, authorities said.
Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have both predicted heavy defeat for each other and said their respective alliances were set to form the next government.
TV exit polls expected after the conclusion of the vote will project how well or poorly the parties are faring ahead of the results, due on June 4. Exit polls, however, have a patchy record in India and have been widely off the mark previously.
Modi began his re-election campaign by focusing on his achievements over the last 10 years but soon switched to mostly targeting the opposition by accusing them of favoring India's minority Muslims, comprising roughly 200 million of the population.
This change of tack, analysts said, was likely aimed at firing up his Hindu nationalist base after a low turnout in the first phase sparked concerns that BJP supporters were not voting in large numbers.
The opposition campaign has largely focused on affirmative action and saving the constitution from what they say is Modi's dictatorial rule.