Turkish coast guards shoot at people heading toward Lesvos

Aegean Boat Report has told of how Turkish coast guards shot at people heading toward Lesvos.

It said, “last week, Wednesday October 9, a group of 37 people, 20 of them small children, was heading toward Lesvos north east in a rubber boat when they were stopped inside Turkish waters by the Turkish coast guard.

“Aegean Boat Report received several calls from the people onboard the boat, saying that the Turkish coast guard was shooting towards them to force them to stop.

“We also received videos where we could see coast guard officers severely beating a man they had taken onboard, several others, men, women and elderly sick people were reportedly also brutally beaten by the Turkish coast guards officers.”

«They hit us several times with their hands and the back of a rifle, they kicked us, also women and old people, the children were crying hysterically, I was so scared, I thought they would kill us.

“We receive reports on brutal an illegal behavior by the Turkish coast guard on a daily basis, unfortunately we rarely receive any footage that can help document these illegal acts, this time was one of those rare occasions.

“They told us that they had more videos, but the man filming was caught filming by the Turkish coast guards, a masked officer hit him in the face with the back of a rifle, and left unconscious on the deck of the coast guard vessel, his phone thrown in the sea.

“This time some of this was caught on camera, the Turkish coast guard officers caught on video is easily recognizable if the Turkish authorities want to investigate this brutal behavior. We assume there will be no investigation, same as their Greek counterparts, they cover up and denies any wrongdoing, even do the evidence is clear as day.

According to official reports by the Turkish coast guards, there were two coast guard vessels involved (KB-111 and KB-20), type Ares 35 patrol vessels.

Aegean Boat Report feared that people trying to seek safety in Europe face many dangers in the Aegean, most not from the treacherous Sea, “but from those who are «guarding» the border on both sides. Using all means possible to stop people, putting people’s lives in danger on a daily basis in the name of «border protection.”