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WORLD NEWS Monday 14 noveMber 2022

4 EU members say they can't take so many migrant arrivals

BY DEMETRIS NELLAS and thorities" to save hundreds
COLLEEN BARRY of migrants rescued at sea.
Associated Press Italy's new far-right-led gov-
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — ernment was locked in a
Four Mediterranean Euro- weekslong standoff with
pean Union nations have is- humanitarian groups that
sued a joint statement on a rescue migrants in the cen-
dispute over a deal for Eu- tral Mediterranean Sea. It
rope to jointly help asylum- argued that the countries
seekers. whose flag the ships fly
In their statement Satur- should take in the migrants,
day, Italy, Greece, Malta not Italy, a position vehe-
and Cyprus repeated their mently opposed by human-
positions that they "cannot itarian groups, legal experts
subscribe to the notion that and human rights activists.
countries of first entry are After ignoring repeated re- Migrants line up to be checked by Italian authorities at the Italian
the only possible European quests for a safe port, Italy French border of Ventimiglia, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.
landing spots for illegal im- directed three ships with Associated Press
migrants." They added that migrants to ports in south- nearly three weeks at sea, rard Darmanin then an-
the number of migrants ern Italy, initially selecting finally docking Friday at the nounced France's with-
taken in by other EU mem- for disembarkation only port of Toulon. The Ocean drawal from a "solidarity"
ber states "only represents those deemed vulnerable, Viking episode led to a dip- mechanism approved in
a very small fraction of the including minors and those lomatic flap between Italy June to reduce the pres-
actual number of irregular with medical conditions. and France, after Italy's sure on front-line countries
arrivals." Eventually all were allowed new prime minister, Gior- such as Greece, Italy and
The four countries con- to enter Italy. But a fourth gia Meloni, thanked Paris Spain by taking in asylum-
demned the operations of ship, the Ocean Viking, re- for accepting the migrants seekers. French officials
private charity vessels "act- mained in international wa- before France had agreed also announced new bor-
ing in total autonomy from ters and eventually made to do so. der checks with Italy.q
the competent state au- its way toward France after French Interior Minister Ge-

Bomb rocks avenue in heart of Istanbul; 6 dead, dozens hurt

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY minutes. The explosion took
Associated Press place just minutes after she
ISTANBUL (AP) — A bomb left. He said her identity
rocked a bustling pedes- was not yet clear, nor was
trian avenue in the heart it clear what group might
of Istanbul on Sunday, kill- be behind the attack.
ing six people, wounding A manager of a restau-
several dozen and leaving rant near where the bomb
panicked people to flee went off said he heard the
the fiery blast or huddle in explosion and saw people
cafes and shops. running. The dozens of cus-
Emergency vehicles rushed tomers inside his restau-
to the scene on Istiklal Av- rant, including women and
enue, a popular thorough- children, panicked and
fare lined with shops and screamed.
restaurants that leads to The manager, who spoke
the iconic Taksim Square. In Security and ambulances at the scene after an explosion on on condition of anonym-
one video posted online, a Istanbul’s popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue, Sunday, Nov. 13, ity because of the sensitiv-
loud bang could be heard 2022. ity of the situation, said he
and a flash seen as pedes- Associated Press closed his restaurant's shut-
trians turned and ran away. common. The country was parliamentary elections ters, fearing there might
Turkish President Recep hit by a string of bombings next year. be another explosion, and
Tayyip Erdogan called the between 2015 and 2017, Erdogan, who left Sunday tried to calm the customers
blast a "treacherous at- some by the Islamic State for the Group of 20 summit down. After about 15 to 25
tack" and said its perpe- group, others by Kurd- in Indonesia, said six people minutes inside, he saw po-
trators would be punished. ish militants who seek in- were killed. Vice President lice on the avenue and or-
He did not say who was creased autonomy or inde- Fuat Oktay put the wound- ganized the customers and
behind the attack but said pendence. ed toll to 81, with two in his staff to leave in small
it had the "smell of terror" In recent years, Erdogan serious condition, and also groups.
without offering details and has led a broad crackdown said it appeared to be a Numerous foreign govern-
also adding that was not on the militants as well as terrorist attack. ments offered their con-
certain yet. on Kurdish lawmakers and Justice Minister Bekir dolences, including neigh-
Sunday's explosion was a activists. Amid skyrocket- Bozdag told pro-govern- boring Greece with which
shocking reminder of the ing inflation and other eco- ment broadcaster A Haber relations are tense. Prime
anxiety and safety con- nomic troubles, Erdogan's that investigators were fo- Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
cerns that stalked the Turk- anti-terrorism campaign is cusing on a woman who sat said he was "shocked and
ish population during years a key rallying point for him on a bench by the scene saddened by the news of
when such attacks were ahead of presidential and of the blast for about 40 the heinous attack."q