Turkish soldiers help asylum seekers pushed back by Greece

ANKARA

Turkish security forces rescued a total of 42 asylum seekers pushed back by Greek authorities, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

In a Twitter post, the ministry said Greek personnel had beaten and held the asylum seekers hostage without food or water before attempting to illegally send them to Turkey having taken their shoes, money and identification documents.

It added that Turkish security forces in the northwestern province of Edirne rescued the asylum seekers at the Turkish-Greek border and handed them over to the provincial gendarmerie command.

In footage posted by the ministry, one of the asylum seekers said they had crossed to Greece through the Uzunkopru district of Edirne two days ago.

"Greek police caught us. ... After they caught us, they took off our pants and beat us. They didn't give us food and water for two days," he said.

He went on to recount: "They confiscated our money and IDs. They confiscated some of our friends' pants."

Turkey and 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 migrants, including women and children.