Following the deaths of 36 soldiers in Idlib, the AKP Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement and told that the borders will no longer be supervised. After his statements thousands of refugees were transferred to the borders. Greek caricaturist Periklis Koulifetis draw a caricature on March 2 and expressed the violence the refugees had to suffer by the hands of both countries' security forces.

 

Koulifetis who stated that neither Turkey nor Greece cares about these people, said: "I think that ,and that’s my point in my cartoon, the EU governments and the Turkish government simply doesn’t want to help refugees. They are a problem to them, extra people to feed and raise,  and they don’t want them. In Greece,  we think it’s all a strategic plan of Tayip Erdogan; after his dictatorial acts in Turkey and hostilities in Kurdistan, Syria, Libya and our common sea borders, to weaponize innocent refugees and immigrants, all in order to threat EU. Erdoğan is the main reason of hatred and racism in Greece and in Europe. Thankfully, on the other hand, a lot of volunteers and leftists here are protecting and helping the refugees rights.

 

HATE SPEECH IS CLIMAXING IN GREECE

 

Kolulifetis, stating that the refugees are mainly staying in camps in Chios and Lesvos islands, said many volunteers and non profit organizations and the local people are doing their best to help them. Stressing that the refugees only want to use Greece as a way to go to west, especially Germany, said: " Most of them are trying to leave for the rest of the Europe, particularly Germany but, due to the closed borders of the other countries, they’re forced to stay in Greece. Meanwhile, a lot of Greeks grow angry because they don’t want the refugees in the country anymore,  letting a lot of racist and nationalistic opinions rise –with the right-wing government and most of the media feeding those opinions- and all that anger and hate is reaching its climax these days with the recent events."

 

Koulifetis underlined that Greece is assuming a coast guard role for Europe and can't act on their own will because of the economic crisis, said: "Greece, since the 2010 economic crisis, is having less and less “free will” as a state, acting only as the EU is telling to act, no matter what government we have (leftist or rightist). Now that Europe wants its borders closed, Greece is acting as its “border keeper”."

 

Koulifetis said: "Western governments, but also Turkey who have interests in the Middle East are provoking the wars and the hostilities. People in Kurdistan understand what that means more than anyone. So as long as they keep “poking” Middle East, the refugee crisis won’t stop. The right defenders in all countries have to keep organizing, protesting, informing the people about the problem and have their representatives in parliaments so they can vote laws and make things change.

 

ITS OUR TURN

 

Koulifetis recalled that thousands of people in Greece migrated to the Middle East, especially Aleppo while they were running away from the Nazi invasion during World War II. Koulifetis said: "Actually this is a historical fact not very known in Greece and it’s actually brought back by mostly internet and independent media. Greeks, mostly from the east Aegean islands fled to Syria in World War II but also to Lebanon, Cyprus and North Africa. Greeks from these islands, and also the rest of the Greeks who actually help thought that helping back the Syrian refugees was the right thing to do and gave them shelter."

 

Koulifetis, stating that he draws comics and some political cartoons, but he wasn't actually expecting such fame. Stating that this is his first interview, he said: "I just draw a cartoon with my opinion. But actually seeing people are sensitive to the refugee issue, made me happy. This means people care. Immigration is a right, open the borders!"