Some Afghan irregular migrants have alleged that they were beaten in custody by Iranian soldiers before being released at the Turkish border.

Gulab Jemili, an Afghan who illegally entered Turkey's eastern Van province, said he along with others migrated to Iran due to armed conflict in their country. But they were apprehended and subjected to ill-treatment by Iranian soldiers.

Hundreds of irregular Afghan, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi migrants arrive in Turkey illegally via Iran, either in vehicles or on foot across long distances. During their perilous journey to Europe in search of a better life, they communicate with one another using smartphone applications.

However, the majority of them are entrapped by criminals along the road, with some losing their lives and others being detained in Turkey, according to these irregular migrants.

Talking to Anadolu Agency on Tuesday, Jemili alleged that the Iranian soldiers tortured all of the detainees and killed some of his companions before throwing them at the Turkish border after stealing their clothes and money.

However, his claim was not independently verified.

"After crossing to Turkey, we fell into the hands of human smugglers, they took $1,000 from us. We traveled by foot to some locations and by vehicle to others. The smugglers sent us locations, and we have to navigate our way through these," he stated.

Jemili said they were on the road for over one and a half months.

"Everyone is devastated... We're at a loss on what to do. In Afghanistan, there is a war. Our schools are bombed. If we stay and fight, we won't know against whom we'll be fighting; brothers are killing one another. We were forced to travel to Iran, but they beat us up and told us that this was not our country and that we should go to Turkey instead "he said.

220 people in a truck

Mohammed Tenha, an Afghani who arrived at the Tatvan area on Lake Van's western bank, said his country is experiencing severe problems as many of his relatives have died during the ongoing armed conflict.

"I have not eaten bread for the past four days. We have been walking for 45 days now. They detained us in Iran, and I spent three to four days at the police station. Then they handed us a document and told us to go to Turkey, or back to Afghanistan. They threatened to harm me if they saw me in five days. After that, they let us go," he said.

He claimed that he and other Afghans entered Turkey illegally and paid money to Iranians who transport immigrants.

"I gave $1,200, and a friend paid $1,500," he claimed, adding, "We used to talk on the phone with friends, but the Iranian police took our money and phones and set them on fire."

"They left us at the border," he said and added that "We drove here from Van in a truck with 220 people (irregular migrants) sleeping in it."/aa

All countries should realize and fulfill their responsibilities with regards to the global refugee issue, Turkey’s parliament speaker said on Wednesday.

Mustafa Sentop denounced Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s recent remarks in which he pushed for Turkey to take in more people fleeing from Afghanistan, where the Taliban have made rapid gains amid the withdrawal of foreign troops.

“Turkey has not caused the problems in Syria and Afghanistan, but Turkey bears the consequences of all these problems,” he said while speaking to the media in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.

“This is a problem for the whole world. Every country needs to realize and fulfill its responsibility in this regard.”

He emphasized that Ankara sees the migration issue from a humanitarian perspective, pointing out that Turkey currently hosts more than 4 million refugees.

Sentop slammed Kurz’s comments as “total irresponsibility” and a “pure example of political selfishness.”

He said European countries should stop shying away from their obligations and should be asking “why they can’t do more for immigrants, (and) for Turkey, which is already shouldering such a heavy burden.”

In a recent interview with German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Kurz said Turkey would be “a more suitable place” for Afghan refugees than Germany, Austria, or Sweden.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a strong rebuke earlier this week, reiterating that Turkey “will not bear a new migration wave.”

“While conveying our approach to our interlocutors at every occasion and level, we reiterate that Turkey will not be the border guard or refugee camp of the European Union,” read the statement./aa

Botswana sent troops on Monday to Mozambique to combat escalating terror violence as Angola is holding a plenary meeting to decide on similar action on Tuesday.

A total of 396 Botswanan troops have joined Mozambique since July 26 to support Mozambique in combating the imminent threat of terrorism and acts of violent extremism in the Cabo Delgado region in the north, as part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).

They join 1,000 Rwandan and 60 Portuguese soldiers previously deployed. Angola is considering sending 20 military advisers.

Mozambique has previously requested military assistance from southern African countries to fight jihadists who have been terrorizing the northeast for more than three years.

Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi made the case when he said: "However complex the security situation in the SADC (Southern African Development Community) region maybe, as in the past, Botswana's foreign policy objectives have been and remain very clear. Botswana's security cannot be achieved without that of its neighbors.”

But Zimbabwean political strategist Justice Simango fears the intervention cannot provide a meaningful and lasting panacea for Cabo Delgado.

"The system of regional talks lacks implementation. This is the case with the African Union," he told Anadolu Agency.

“The 15 SADC states are also experiencing crises and have limited funds that could prevent them from meaningfully addressing the socio-economic grievances fueled in the aid seeker’s country.”

Simango noted that African governments prefer to fight terrorism with a heavy-handed security approach but "if President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and their counterpart in Botswana, respectively decide to deploy large-scale military troops to Cabo Delgado, the counter-approach will have serious consequences."

He said there will be "significant human rights violations committed against the civilian population, especially women and girls” and civilians may become victims of the struggle when, because of unemployment, young people find themselves enrolled in the rebellion alongside terror groups.

"To avoid this, the government must address the social and economic problems that affect the population. It must also stop fighting fire with fire because in Nigeria this method is a failure against Boko-Haram terrorism. They must try dialogue instead," said Simango.

He said the security deterioration already engages a series of risks for extractive operators and for the security of goods and people in the distribution routes that have become "death traps."

"Mining operators who depend on logistics routes such as seaports are likely to witness more ambushes and rent-seeking roadblocks in the coming years," said Simango.

He said he was convinced that such developments are bad for business, not only for Mozambique but for Africa as a whole, especially now that the continent is trying to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area involving 54 African Union members./aa

Turkish security forces on Tuesday “neutralized” three terrorists in northern Syria, according to the National Defense Ministry.

On Twitter, the ministry said 15 terrorists have so far been "neutralized" since the killing of two Turkish soldiers on Sunday in the Operation Euphrates Shield region.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured. The affiliation of the terrorists was not given, but the YPG/PKK terror group is active in the area.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot./aa

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised up its global economic growth forecast to 4.9% for 2021, according to its World Economic Outlook Update released Tuesday.

The 0.5 percentage points upgrade is a revision from a previous estimate of 4.4% made in its April report.

The IMF said the revision "derives largely from the forecast upgrade for advanced economies, particularly the US, reflecting the anticipated legislation of additional fiscal support in the second half of 2021 and improved health metrics more broadly across the group."

It said it anticipates the American economy to grow 4.9% next year, up from its previous projection of 3.5%. The Euro area's estimated growth was also revised up to 4.3% from 3.8%.

Overall, advanced economies are expected to expand 4.4% in 2022 from 3.6%, while the forecast on emerging markets and developing economies was revised up to 5.2% from 5%.

The IMF did not change economic growth projections for 2021 at 6% and noted that inflation is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels in most countries next year but said uncertainty remains high.

"Central banks should generally look through transitory inflation pressures and avoid tightening until there is more clarity on underlying price dynamics," it said.

"Clear communication from central banks on the outlook for monetary policy will be key to shaping inflation expectations and safeguarding against premature tightening of financial conditions," it added./aa

A fire in a Greek village in Attica, northeast of central Athens, is blazing close to residential areas, firefighters said Tuesday.

Strong winds reaching up to force 6 on the Beaufort scale (39-49 kilometers per hour, 25-31 miles per hour) are reportedly making the situation more difficult in the village of Stamata, North East Attica, part of the municipality of Dionysos.

"Strong firefighting forces are doing whatever possible to prevent the flames from reaching the houses of the Galini settlement in Stamata,” Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a fire brigade spokesman, told state news agency Athens-Macedonian.

The Galini settlement has been already evacuated.

Dionysos Mayor Yiannis Kalafatelis earlier told local media that the situation is very difficult.

The area, located in a rich forested pine area, is densely inhabited.

Firefighting forces operating in the area include 14 fire engines with 43 firefighters, two teams on foot, four firefighting aircraft, and five water-dropping helicopters.

The fire was initially detected by a fire hub system which monitors natural disasters via satellite pictures in Southeastern Europe./aa