The defence Ministry in Turkey has accused Greece of beating and stripping dozens of migrants before sending them back to Turkey.

They said that Turkish border officials discovered the refugees in the western province of Edirne on 29 June.

This said that all 42 men had been stripped naked and they said they had been abused by Greek authorities when they crossed into the country.

They said a request for food and water had also been denied with the ministry adding: “It was determined that they were forcefully sent back after being beaten.”

They added: “The individuals in question were taken to Edirne Provincial Gendarmerie Command.”

In a video of the naked men, Turkish army officials quiz the refugees asking what happened.

They said that a man had turned up when they complained that one of their number was seriously ill, and on the verge of dying, and the men can be heard saying: “He was supposed to call an ambulance. He called the police. They battered us. Even the ill man was battered in his sick state.”

The claims by the Turkish Ministry of Defence are not isolated. Only recently Amnesty International accused Greek forces of violence and of illegally detaining groups of refugees and migrants ahead of sending them back to Turkey.”

They said this contravened their human rights obligations to immigrants and also breached both EU and international law.

Adriana Tidona, Migration researcher for Europe at Amnesty International, was quoted as saying: “It is clear that multiple arms of the Greek authorities are closely coordinating to brutally apprehend and detain people who are seeking safety in Greece, subjecting many to violence, then transferring them to the banks of the Evros river before summarily returning them to Turkey.”

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