ANKARA/EDIRNE, Turkiye

At least 12 irregular migrants were found frozen to death in northwestern Turkiye after they were pushed back from neighboring Greece, the Turkish interior minister said on Wednesday.

Twelve of 22 migrants "pushed back" by Greek border forces and stripped of their clothes and shoes "froze to death," Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter.

The EU "is remediless, weak and void of humane feelings," said Soylu, adding that while Greek forces acted as a "thug" against people who had been made "victims," they were tolerant towards members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, which was behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkiye.

Thousands of the terror group's members fled to Greece after the coup bid on July 15, 2016, which was orchestrated by FETO and its ringleader Fetullah Gulen. It left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured.

Soylu shared several photos of the site where the irregular migrants were found, with the victims blurred.

Earlier, the governor's office of Edirne province in northwestern Turkiye released a statement, saying that the bodies of nine migrants were found in the Pasakoy village of Ipsala district, less than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Greek border.

"Another migrant at risk of frostbite was rescued and transferred to the Kesan State Hospital," the statement added.

Turkish teams continue to conduct search and rescue missions in the area for migrants who may need medical assistance, it added.

📆 02.02.2022
📍 Greece Ipsala Border

12 of the 22 migrants pushed back by Greek Border Units, stripped off from their clothes and shoes have frozen to death.

EU is remediless, weak and void of humane feelings.

Greek border units thug against victims, tolerant towards FETO pic.twitter.com/EP1TOqsGCB

— Süleyman Soylu (@suleymansoylu) February 2, 2022

An investigation has been launched into the incident, it said.

Meanwhile, Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi issued a statement on Twitter regarding the incident, calling it a "tragedy".

"The deaths of 12 migrants on the Turkish border near Ipsala is a tragedy," he said.

Mitarachi, however, added: "Any suggestion that they were pushed back into Turkey is patently false."

Turkiye has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Turkiye and international human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable people, including women and children.

*Writing by Handan Kazanci and Ali Murat Alhas Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.