Iraqis directly to Iraq, this presumably reflects deportations to transit countries, such as air arrivals from Jordan. Because there are now direct air connections between Athens and Erbil through Viking Airlines, a private Scandinavian company that runs charter flights, it appears that some direct deportations from Greece to Iraq have taken place. However, since this connection is not permanent and flights are often interrupted, Greece has mainly sought to deport Iraqis to Turkey on the understanding that Turkey would be more likely to accept Iraqis (and Iranians) than other nationalities under its readmission agreement with Greece because of the relatively cheap and easy option of deporting them by bus across its southeastern land border.73 Returns under the Greece-Turkey Readmission Agreement There have been relatively few formal, legal deportations from Greece to Turkey under the terms of the Greece-Turkey readmission agreement of 2001.74 Brigadier General Constantinos Kordatos, commander of Hellenic Police Headquarters Aliens’ Division, told Human Rights Watch that Greece has presented 38,000 cases to Turkey for readmission since the agreement went into effect in 2002, but that Turkey had only accepted 2,000 returns since that time.75 A Turkish government source says that Greece has presented 22,312 requests for readmission between 2002 and 2007 and that Turkey has accepted 4,264.76 Even in obvious cases, such as a boat arrival on Lesvos or Samos, which are within eyesight of the Turkish coast, he said that Greece must still prove that the migrant came from Turkey. Kordatos said that another problem is the three-month limit on detention because Turkey takes longer than three months to decide whether to accept the return of a migrant, by which time the person has already been released from detention and is no longer in the custody of the Greek authorities for return. 73 See Deportations from Turkey, below. 74 Law 2926 of June 27, 2001, Agreement between the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Turkey on cooperation of the Ministry of Public Order of the Hellenic Republic and the Ministry of the Interior of Turkey on combating crime, especially terrorism, organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and illegal immigration. 75 Human Rights Watch interview with Kordatos, Secretariat of Public Order, May 22, 2008. 76 “Yunanistan'ın Yasadışı Göçmenlere İlişkin Tutumu (Greece’s Attitude toward Illegal Immigrants),” information note, Turkish General Staff, October 5, 2007, http://www.tsk.mil.tr/HABERLER_ve_OLAYLAR/4_Yasadisi_Sinir_Gecisleri/yasadisi_sinir_gecisleri_2008.htm (accessed October 7, 2008). Stuck in a Revolving Door 36