Greece preparing tender for 1st part of steel fence along border with Türkiye: Minister

By Ayhan Mehmet

GUMULCINE, Greece (AA) - Greece’s citizen protection minister said Monday that the tender process will soon begin for the first 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) of a steel fence that will be built along the Meric River.

"We are going to bid immediately so that the construction of the fence can begin. The works are ready and full cooperation has been made with the army to provide everything necessary," Takis Theodorikakos told a local television program.

The fence, which will pass through the Soufli region and Kornofolia village, will have a total length of 140 kilometers (87 miles).

Claiming that the fence’s construction is needed for national security, Theodorikakos said "only this way can we fight illegal immigration."

In December, Greece announced that it would deploy 250 border police to tighten patrols and surveillance measures near the Meric (Evros) region on the Turkish border.

Ankara and international human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable people, including women and children.

Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution in their countries.

It already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, and is taking new security measures on its borders to humanely prevent an influx of migrants.