The Greek government dismissed on Wednesday Turkish claims that its security forces had fired at migrants and refugees massed at the borders on Evros.
Earlier the governor’s office of Turkey’s bordering Edirne province had charged in a statement that “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.”
The provocative statement added that six men had been injured by metal bullets, including three in the feet, one in the groin area, one in the chest, and one in the head.
The one man who supposedly had been 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, according to the governor’s office.
In Athens, government spokesman Stelios Petsas flatly rejected these reports, describing them as “fake news.”
“The Turkish side creates and disperses fake news targeted against Greece. Today they created yet another such falsehood, with injured migrants and one dead supposedly by Greek fire. I categorically deny it,” Petsas wrote on Twitter.
Greek Government Spokesperson @SteliosPetsas: The Turkish side creates and disperses fake news targeted against Greece. Today they created yet another such falsehood, with injured migrants and one dead supposedly by Greek fire. I categorically deny it. pic.twitter.com/ApHxJGTPEr
— Ελληνική Κυβέρνηση (@govgr) March 4, 2020