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Appalling EU/Turkish Refugee Deal |
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By
Stephen Lendman |
| The deal agreed on in Brussels last month amounts to a premeditated
high crime against humanity - willfully inflicted on desperate people
unable to contest it. Amnesty International (AI) blasted what it called “fatal flaws” in flagrant violation of Turkish, EU and international law. Turkish authorities forcibly rounded up and expelled thousands of desperate refugees since mid-January, 100 or more daily. AI obtained testimonies from affected victims, an “open secret” practice in the region. Brussels conspired with Turkey, ignoring its horrendous human rights abuses, endorsed them by the sinister deal struck - gravely harming the rights and welfare of desperate people, at the mercy of rogue states spurning their right to life. AI’s John Dalhuisen was blunt saying, “(i)n their desperation to seal their borders, EU leaders have wilfully ignored the simplest of facts: Turkey is not a safe country for Syrian refugees and is getting less safe by the day.” “The large-scale returns of Syrian refugees we have documented highlight the fatal flaws in the EU-Turkey deal.” “It is a deal that can only be implemented with the hardest of hearts and a blithe disregard for international law.” “Far from pressuring Turkey to improve the protection it offers Syrian refugees, the EU is in fact incentivizing the opposite.” If nothing is done to stop a monstrous agreement, thousands expelled to Syria and other war theaters may die. AI said the inhumanity and scale of deportations “is truly shocking,” affecting young children separated from parents, the ill, elderly and others. Around 200,000 refugees are within 20 km of Turkey’s border. Human rights workers call camp conditions appalling, without clean water, sanitation and other essentials to life. Kidnappings for ransom present another danger. Syrians with passports earlier could cross into Turkey at border checkpoints. They’re now sealed. Syrians arriving by air need visas. “It is clear where this is heading,” said Dalhuisen. “(H)aving witnessed the creation of Fortress Europe (its borders sealed), we are now seeing the copy-cat construction of Fortress Turkey.” A previous article discussed Turkish border guards lethally shooting Syrian refugees at crossing points. AI has documented evidence since late 2013, two or three incidents daily. Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry human rights commissioner Konstantin Dolgov urged an international investigation to hold guilty parties accountable, especially culpable Turkish officials. Brussels knew Ankara was killing and abusing Syrian refugees long before agreeing to a deal harming their welfare. On Turkish territory or at border crossings, they’re in harm’s way, their lives and welfare endangered. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |
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