Turkey pushing migrants into Greece, says minister
Greek Citizens’ Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos accused Turkey on Saturday of the “brutal and immoral weaponization” of undocumented migrants.
Speaking to Skai TV, Theodorikakos said that in August alone, 40,000 irregular migrants attempted to cross into Greece at the Evros border, and since the beginning of the year this number has reached 150,000.
“Our message is that no one crosses Evros illegally; we will not allow it,” he stressed. “The border is guarded 24 hours a day in a determined manner by the police and the army, and [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan must take this into account,” he said.
There is no doubt that the flow of thousands of migrants is being driven by the Turkish side, he added, predicting that this will continue “in order to blackmail Europe and Greece.” Theodorikakos pointed out that Greece is implementing the so-called “Akritas” plan to protect the border at Evros, adding that the Europeans should assist this effort.
