Greece: Turkish armed forces seize pocket of Greek territory
Greece: Turkish armed forces seize pocket of Greek territory
By Michael Lord 21 May 2020
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The Hellenic Armed Forces are reporting that Turkish soldiers and police have permanently occupied a pocket of Greek territory along their shared border in a blatant disregard for the sovereignty of both Greece and the European Union.
The pocket lies on the Evros River, which runs along the border, in the Feres region. It is undeniably part of Greece — even Google Maps clearly marks the area where the Turks have established themselves as Greek territory.
The occupation comes as Greek border forces, assisted by police officers and soldiers from many European Union countries, have been battling a new wave of illegal migrants as they nightly try to storm the border — often with the aid of Turkish personnel — since Turkey’s President, Recep Erdoğan, announced in February that his country would no longer stop migrants who try to enter Greece from his country’s territory.
The latest Turkish incursion began when approximately ten Turkish soldiers and security personnel set up a tent near the disputed area on their own territory. Gradually, more and more troops gathered, eventually comprising a force of more than 35 men. They then crossed into Greek territory and set up a camp there, and proceeded to deforest the area, as reported by Army Voice, the news portal of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
Since the border is demarcated by the Evros River, its natural course sometimes changes as a result of the natural force of erosion, creating alluviums on either side of it. This causes some Greek territory to move to the eastern side of the river, although the Turks refuse to acknowledge this and claim all such areas as their own.
The disputed region has a troubled history in relations between the two nations. Two Turkish soldiers were arrested there in 2018, and a Greek soldier, Zisis Karagogou, was killed by Turkish forces there in 1986.
The Greek military had recently sent geographers to the region to determine how the Evros dam could be expanded as a security measure. Such expansion would act as a barrier, making it more difficult for migrants to cross the river. The alterations require some activity on the eastern side of the river, however, and the Greek military has requested Turkey’s assistance in providing information about those alluviums. Turkey, however, has consistently refused to cooperate and refuses to acknowledge such alluviums as Greek territory.
This latest move appears to be part of a concerted campaign by the Turkish military to increase pressure on its European neighbor. In recent weeks Turkish fighter aircraft and military vessels have repeatedly violated Greek territory, and Turkish soldiers have even fired weapons across the border into Greece, as previously reported by Voice of Europe.
