Turkish President Erdogan conveys condolences to Pakistan over migrant boat tragedy

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended his condolences on Tuesday to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over last week's tragic sinking of a migrant boat off southwestern Greece.

In a phone call, "President Erdogan conveyed his condolences for the Pakistani people who lost their lives in the migrant boat disaster off the coast of Greece," the Turkish Presidency said on Twitter.

"Expressing deep sorrow over this tragic event, President Erdogan stated that he shares the grief of the Pakistani people, " it added.

Pakistan observed a day of mourning on Monday to express their sorrow over the boat tragedy in which at least 81 irregular immigrants died.

A total of 104 people were rescued, but the death toll is expected to rise as survivors said the vessel was carrying more than 600 migrants, mostly from Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria.

There were some 400 Pakistanis on the boat making the perilous journey to Europe, Pakistani media reported.

However, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told Anadolu that the government does not have an accurate count of the Pakistanis. "Twelve Pakistanis have been identified among the survivors," she added.