Greece to extend steel wall along border with Türkiye

By Tevfik Durul

ATHENS (AA) - Greece said Tuesday it will extend a steel wall along its border with Türkiye from 40 kilometers to 180 kilometers (25 miles to 112 miles).

Civil Protection Minister Panagiotis Takis Theodorikakos announced the move while visiting the Meric (Evros) River region.

Greece will also assign 250 new border police to tighten patrol and surveillance measures in the area, added Theodorikakos.

The Greek National Security Governing Council, chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, decided in late August to expand the barrier in the Meric (Evros) River on its border with Türkiye.

Athens built the 40-kilometer-long wall to prevent possible refugee waves. Construction was completed in August 2021.

Türkiye has been a key transit point for asylum seekers wanting to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Ankara and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing asylum seekers back into Turkish waters and denying them entry to Greece, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.