Statements of European Commission’s Vice-President responsible for “Promoting the European Way of Life” Margaritis Schinas with regard to migration resemble more of the political discourse of the members of the Greek government rather than an EU official.

The EU Commission, which is supposed to be the guardian of the EU’s founding treaties, has not started a serious investigation on human rights violations and push-backs at the EU borders until now.

Therefore, we remind Commissioner Schinas, to investigate first of all the murder of Pakistani Muhammad Gulzar committed by Greek officials, the ongoing push-back incidents at the Aegean Sea and Meriç/Evros River happening before the eyes of the EU agencies, continuous rejection of asylum applications of asylum-seekers, national practices against international conventions and EU asylum directive, as well as violence against human-rights defenders.

Turkey is not and will not be the border guard or refugee camp of the EU. Turkey, greatly suffering from the phenomenon of irregular migration, only asks for a more equitable burden and responsibility-sharing. Protection of the EU’s external borders by disregarding human rights and rights of asylum-seekers will mean the denial of the founding treaties of the EU. In fact, perceiving Greece as Europe’s external border is equal to standing totally aloof of historical and geographical realities.