WATCH: Greek coastguard attacked for deliberately trying to SINK migrant boat
THIS is the shocking moment a Greek seacrew are filmed trying to pierce a hole into an inflatable dinghy carrying around 60 desperate migrants.
Greek coast guard sinks refugee boat carrying 58 in Aegean Sea
The overcrowded fragile rubber dinghy is shown sinking after a Greek crewman lunges towards it with a sharp pole.
The migrants onboard are heard screaming in the dark as their life raft begins to sink into the Aegean Sea.
The footage reveals the Greek ship sailing away from the migrants who are left to die.
The migrants frantically blow whistles in an desperate call for help.
A Turkish coastguard vessel spots the migrants and manages to rescue the drowning refugees.
The Turkish government has now released footage of the disturbing incident and complained to Greek officials.
The overcrowded fragile rubber dinghy is shown sinking
The migrants onboard are heard screaming in the dark as their life raft begins to sink
The migrants trying to reach the European mainland were later taken to the Turkish port city of Didim, back to the starting point for those trying to cross into Europe.
Commander Rear Admiral Hakan Ustem of the Turkish coastguard told the Greeks: “We would be very pleased if you order your team to refrain from such acts.”
One Turkish government official said: “This is shocking. We expect that this footage will be investigated - it’s difficult for us to understand why they would try to sink a refugee boat".
Greek commander Athanasios Athanasopulos has described his “shock" upon seeing the footage, and vowed to take action.
Greece has been flooded with migrants in recent months making the perilous trip across rough seas
But other Greek officials have denied any part in the incident, calling it a Turkish hoax.
The Greek coastguard said: "The Headquarters of the Hellenic Coast Guard categorically denies reports in the foreign press and altered audiovisual material on a foreign website, according to which a vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard is allegedly attempting to sink a boat with refugees.”
"A crew member is attempting to pull close to the side of a large rescue ship a small inflatable dinghy using a navy hook, while an adjacent vessel of the Turkish Coast Guard assists the rescue operation illuminating and facilitating all actions via floodlight.”
Around 650,000 refugees and migrants fleeing the Middle East and North Africa have made the journey
Human Rights Watch are just one campaign groups who have previously raised concerns about attempts to 'disable' boats trying to reach Greece across the Aegean.
Eva Cossé, Greece specialist at Human Rights Watch, said: “Disabling boats in the Aegean makes an already dangerous journey even more likely to result in death,”
“These criminal actions require an urgent response from the Greek authorities.”
Amnesty International, which viewed the footage, added it was "profoundly concerned" and urged Greek authorities to conduct a "prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the incident".
Unidentified “armed masked men” have often been seen deliberately sinking boats, leaving helpless migrants to drown.
Other maruanding seamen have been seen towing the migrant vessels back to Turkish waters.
Greece has been flooded with migrants in recent months making the perilous trip across rough seas to ports such as Lesbos.
Around 650,000 refugees and migrants fleeing the Middle East and North Africa have made the journey to Greece via sea and thousands have drowned making the attmept.