Greek diaspora rebukes Turkey over migrants

The Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) called on Greek Americans to write to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to condemn Turkey. 

The letter, sent electronically by at least 4,000 Greek Americans from 48 out of 50 states, declares that Turkey has launched an act of war, according to the Greek Reporter. 

“Erdogan is weaponising migrants who are not even from Syria in order to blackmail Europe. These are not the actions of an ally, a humanitarian, or a responsible global actor. These are the actions of a human trafficker or a terrorist,” said the letter, calling for condemnation of Turkey for “asymmetric warfare, weaponisation of migrants, and hostage politics.”

The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) wrote in a statement sent to U.S. Department of State officials “to address Turkey as the root cause of the region’s current instability and increased tension.”

The Greek American philanthropic association AHEPA called for the EU to impose sanctions on Turkey and said in a statement that the country repeatedly “uses Syrian refugees as political pawns” against the EU and NATO, because of its “illegal and misguided policy in Syria.”

The Federation of the Greek Communities of Germany has called on EU countries “to not let Greece alone,” in a statement released on March 3.

Thousands gathered at Turkey's border with Greece, after Turkish authorities said last week they would no longer stop migrants trying to get to Europe. Turkey said the EU had failed to keep to pledges under a refugee deal signed in 2016, in which Ankara agreed to curb the flow of migrants and refugees into the EU in exchange for six billion euros for refugee-related services and visa-free travel in the EU for Turkish citizens. 

Turkey accused Greece and the EU of violating human rights and international law, after Greece suspended its asylum process and deployed violent measures against migrants on the border.