Türkiye calls for 'fair burden sharing’ after migrant boat disaster off Greece

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye on Friday called for fair “responsibility and burden sharing” after a boat sank off southwestern Greece earlier this week, leaving at least 78 people dead.

"We are saddened by the far too many loss of lives, including children and women, during sinking incident of a fishing boat off the shore of Greece on 14 June. We extend our condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," a Foreign Ministry statement said on Friday.

At least 78 migrants died off southwestern Greece when a migrant boat that is reportedly carrying up to 700 migrants, including women and children, sank in the early hours of June 14.

So far, Greek authorities rescued 104 people, nine of whom are being investigated over allegations of human smuggling.

"This tragedy in the Mediterranean would neither be the first nor the last. It is not possible to prevent such tragedies without eliminating the root causes of irregular migration. Any counter solution to this approach would only exacerbate the suffering of migrants and refugees, as well as increase death tolls at sea," the Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said.

It said that it is a shared responsibility to enhance the living conditions of migrants and refugees, adding: “This tragic incident has once again demonstrated the obligation of the international community to urgently find solutions to this matter.”

Türkiye hosts the largest refugee population in the world with some 3.9 million refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR).

"As we approach June 20, World Refugee Day, we once again call on the international community to fair responsibility and burden sharing, as well as encourage to collaborate to eliminate the root causes of migratory movements in our region," the ministry said.