A statement from the governor’s office in the Turkish city of Edirne said search and rescue activities continued in the region where the bodies were found.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Wednesday the dead were part of a group of 22 migrants.
Soylu said the 19 people have frozen to death in Ipsala, a border town often used by people trying to enter the European Union.
Where the migrants came from and why they were stranded in frigid conditions remains unclear, but Greece and Turkey blame each other for the tragedy.
Soylu claimed on Twitter that the group had been turned away by Greek border officials and their shoes and clothing stripped. He tweeted blurry images showing the corpses of at least eight people, partially clothed and lying in the mud.
Soylu called the Greek border patrol units criminals and said the European Union was “ruthless, weak and devoid of human feelings”.
However, Greek immigration minister Notis Mitarachi denied Soylu’s allegations of wrongdoing. The deaths at the Turkish border were a tragedy, he said in a statement, but added: “the truth behind this incident does not resemble the false propaganda pushed out by my counterpart.”
Mitarachi said those who died “never crossed the line”.
“Any suggestion they made, or were even pushed back to Turkey, is utter nonsense,” he said. “Instead of dismissing unfounded claims, Turkey must fulfill its obligations and work to prevent these dangerous journeys.”
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to DailyExpertNews’s request for comment on Turkey’s allegations.
Sugam Pokharel of DailyExpertNews contributed to this report.
