Greek police, border units kill 1 irregular migrant

EDIRNE, Turkey

Greek police and border units on Wednesday opened fire on irregular migrants trying to enter the country from northwestern Turkey, killing one and injuring five others, according to Turkish officials.

“Greek police and border units opened fire on the migrants in the region between the Kastanies Border Gate and the Pazarkule Border Gate using sound, fog, and gas bombs, and rubber and metal bullets," said the governor's office of Turkey's Edirne border province in a statement.

Six men were injured by metal bullets, including three in the feet, one in the groin area, one in the chest, and one in the head, added the statement.

The one injured in the chest area was taken to the Trakya University Medical School Hospital by ambulance, where he died while doctors tried to save him, it added.

Greek forces firing metal bullets indiscriminately “disregarded the migrants’ right to life,” said the statement.

Last week, Turkish officials announced that they would no longer try to stop irregular migrants from reaching Europe.

Since then, thousands of irregular migrants have flocked to Edirne, along the borders with Greece and Bulgaria, to make their way into Europe.

The decision was made after 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred by Assad regime forces in Idlib, northwestern Syrian last week.

The Turkish soldiers were working to protect local civilians under a 2018 deal with Russia under which acts of aggression are prohibited in the region.

Turkey, which already hosts some 3.7 million Syrian migrants, more than any country in the world, says it cannot absorb another refugee wave.

Ankara has repeatedly complained that Europe has failed to keep its promises under the 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal to help migrants and stem further migrant waves.