New clashes between Greek police and illegal migrants took place on Wednesday morning at the Greco-Turkish border at the Kastanies checkpoint in the Evros area – the police used tear gas against a group of migrants trying to break into Greek territory, the newspaper “Naftemporiki” reported.
A group of people on the Turkish side first threw stones, various objects and grenades with tear gas at the Greek police and military forces deployed at the border.
When a group of migrants tried to cross the border, tear gas was used, according to the newspaper.
The new clashes occurred the day after Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis and the EU leadership visited the border. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Greece’s borders are not only Greek, but also European, and the EU will help Greece to secure the border in connection with the migration crisis and will send forces.
After the situation in Idlib in Syria escalated, Turkey said it could no longer contain the flow of migrants and refugees and opened its borders with the EU, after which thousands of migrants rushed to Greece. In three days, about 20 thousand attempts to violate the border, where hundreds of police officers are located, were stopped, and Greek army units were tightened. During the first day 66 migrants were arrested, who entered the Greek territory, for the second day – 73 illegal immigrants.
Many in the EU believe that Turkey deliberately allows refugees to enter the border with the European Union in order to exert pressure and gain greater support for its actions in Syria. On March 6, Zagreb will host an extraordinary meeting of the EU Council at the level of Foreign Ministers to discuss the current situation in Syria and the EU borders.