A Turkish national, the driver of a speedboat who allowed at least four migrants lacking travel documents to alight on the shore of Skandari, Kos island, has been arrested as a suspected human trafficker, police announced on Thursday.
The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Giannis Plakiotakis, congratulated the officers of the Coast Guard, who saved a mother and her child, that was born on the rocky islet of Barbalias, east of Mytilene.
"Turkey allowed, in violation of its obligations, according to the 2016 joint statement, a boat with thirteen people to start from Turkish territorial waters. It did not rescue the passengers in the Turkish territorial waters and the Greek Coast Guard, which puts the protection of human life first, was forced to enter Turkish territorial waters in order to rescue ten people and, unfortunately, according to the information, three more people are still missing in Turkish territorial waters. Until I came to the Parliament, I was not informed that Turkey has responded to this incident," Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi said on Friday in parliament.