Greece set to send extra guards to Turkish border

Greece is set to increase the number of guards on its northern border with Turkey to prevent migrants entering the country.

An additional 250 officers will join the 1,500-border force once they have trained within the next three months, Greek Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos told Mega TV on Monday, Kathimerini newspaper reported.

Theodorikakos said the procedures for the extension of the 40-kilometer fence along the Turkish border were also accelerated.

The tensions between Turkey and Greece, two neighboring countries that have long been at odds over a string of issues, have recently got even flared over migration. 

Earlier this month, Greece said 92 naked migrants were found along the border with Turkey, forced out by Turkish authorities into Greek territory on boats via the river of Evros (Meric), some of them with injuries. Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi who posted a photo of the migrants on social media, said Turkey's behavior towards 92 migrants was “a shame for civilisation.”

 Turkey which denied the claims, blamed Athens for the plight of the migrants. 

“It is necessary to be really shameless and reckless to try to be seen right even when one is acting unjustly, like Greece," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, slamming Greece of being a “liar”.

“The fence has proved to be effective in curbing illegal migration,” Theodorikakos said. 

An average of 1,500 people try to cross the frontier into Greece on a daily basis, often with the encouragement of Turkish authorities, he said.

Theodorikakos added that Greek security forces have arrested more than 1,200 suspected traffickers in the past nine months.