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Transcript/ScriptTURKEY GREECE MIGRANTS
HEADLINE: Migrants Caught in the Middle as Turkey-Greece Tensions Escalate
TEASER: Images of naked migrants on border fuelsconcerns that migrants are becoming pawns in growing dispute between two countries.
PUBLISHED AT: 10/17/2022 at 3:40PM
BYLINE: Dorian Jones
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Istanbul
VIDEOGRAPHER: Berke Bas DO NOT USE BERKE BAS NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, MAS SR
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Reuters, AFP, Twitter, Turkish Navy, Turkish Coast Guard
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV __ RADIO __
TRT: 2:55
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: DO NOT USE BERKE BAS NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS))
((INTRO))
[[A photograph of migrants found exposed, without clothing, along the border of Greece and Turkey last week shocked the world and is raising internationalconcerns that the migrants and refugees are becoming the latest victims of a growing dispute between Turkey and Greece. From Istanbul, Dorian Jones reports both nations blame each other for the incident. Warning: This story contains an explicit image some may find disturbing or offensive.]]
((Courtesy: Twitter: Notis Mitarachi))
((NARRATOR))
The discovery of nearly 100 migrants wearing no clothing along the border of Greece and Turkey is drawing international condemnation.
Greece’s minister of migration posted this photo on social media claiming to show the migrants. VOA cannot independently verify the content of photo.
Athens is blaming Ankara for the incident; a chargeTurkey has angrily denied.
Turkish authorities have been releasing videos of Greek coast guards purportedly pushing back migrants and refugees to Turkey.
((NARRATOR))
Athens too, released its video on Twitter, accusing Turkish authorities of attacking migrants.
[[RADIO VERSION: Eva Cosse is the representative in Greece of Human Rights Watch.]]
((Eva Cossé, Human Rights Watch - Female in English)) ((Mandatory cg: Skype))
“These people, because we are talking about people, women, men, and children, are trapped in a game in a strategic game between Greece and Turkey where Greece would accuse Turkey about what is happening and not protecting its borders for facilitating the work of smugglers, etc. And on the other hand, we have Turkey accusing Greece for committing human rights violations.”
(NARRATOR))
Tension between Turkey and Greece escalating over a myriad of territorial disputes
((Mandatory courtesy, Turkish Navy))
centered on the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.
((end courtesy))
In Athens, there is concern migration could be the latest front in bilateral tensions.
[[RADIO VERSION: Athanasios Drougos is a defense analyst at Greece's War College. He believes an all-out conflict is not likely.]]
((Athanasios Drougos, Greece War College - male in English))
((Mandatory cg: Skype))
“I think that no war absolutely, but on the other hand we will have some, how to say that, hybrid asymmetric episodes, probably with the case of illegal immigration.”
((NARRATOR))
Two years ago, a migrant crisis along the border erupted after Ankara declared its border with Greece open to its four million refugees.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, facing reelection by June 2023, is under pressure domestically amid growing public animosity towards migrants and refugees. This is prompting Erdogan - experts say - to blame Europe and Greece for not sharing the refugee burden.
[[RADIO VERSION: Didem Danis is with the Association for Migration Research. ]]
((Didem Danis, Association for Migration Research (female in English) ON CAMERA VOA ORIGINAL))
“What I see now is the politicization of the issue by the opposition parties mainly and the instrumentalization of the refugee issue by the government in their relations with Europe.”
((NARRATOR))
This is prompting Erdogan, experts say, to blame Europe and Greece for not sharing the refugee burden.
But experts warn refugees will pay the highest price in this escalating diplomatic war.
[[For radio: Omar Kadkoy of the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey]]
((Omar Kadkoy, Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey - male in English))
((Mandatory cg: zoom))
“The only people who are losing in this journey are those asylum seekers or people who want to have a better future for themselves. But trying to attempt the borders nowadays is definitely riskier than it was.”
((NARRATOR))
Earlier this month, Turkey and Greece blamed each other for the deaths of migrants who drowned crossing to a Greek island from Turkey. The only thing both sides appear to agree on is that the tragedy will not be the last.
((Dorian Jones, for VOA News, Istanbul))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Istanbul
Embargo DateOctober 17, 2022 16:03 EDT
Byline
((Dorian Jones, for VOA News, Istanbul))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
