After a Turkish ploy to claim a patch of the Evros River’s southern section, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed that the extension of the border fence across the Evros River will continue and will be completed.
Speaking with Kathimerini, Dendias dismissed the “misinformation” that a Greek patch in the region of Evros was occupied by Turkish forces.
“Borders are a given. They do not change and they cannot change,” Dendias said to Kathimerini.
The issue came to fruition after Turkey lodged a demarche seeking information on the coordinates of Greece’s fence extension for the Evros border.
Athens, Dendias said, rejected the Turkish request with a demarche of its own, “as what we do within the limits of our national sovereignty is our privilege and responsibility and we are not obliged to give account to anyone.”
Greece, he said, then lodged a fresh demarche after Turkish activity was detected in the region.
“From then on, an unacceptable spread of misinformation took place, about the occupation of, for example, 1.6 hectares of Greek territory,” Dendias said.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis denied press reports that Turkey had invaded Greek land in the northeastern Evros area, echoing statements from Ankara that there were technical issues that needed to be resolved.
“There is no border dispute,” Mitsotakis said in a pre-recorded interview with Greek broadcaster Star on Monday. Turkey had become nervous about Greece’s decision to build the fence, but it was “our inalienable right to do it and we’ll do it”, he said.
Mitsotakis said Greece would prevent swathes of migrants from entering the country, whatever Turkey’s policy.
“We are not going to accept a policy of mass inflows. Protecting our borders and European borders is an acqui,” he said.
