Greece said on Friday it had completed a 40-kilometre fence on its natural border with Turkey, and a new surveillance system was in place, amid concerns that there could be an increase in migrants into Europe after Talibans takeover of Afghanistan.
The recent development in Afghanistan has fuelled fears in Europe of a repeat of the 2015 refugee crisis, when nearly a million people fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and beyond crossed to Greece from Turkey before continuing to other EU states, Reuters reported.
Greece, on the front line of that crisis, has said its border forces are on alert to make sure it does not become Europes gateway again.
"We examined ways to enhance surveillance and protection systems," said Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos during a tour of the border with Greeces citizens protection minister and military officials, adding, "This plan is being implemented and being carried out at a fast and intensified pace in view of the developments outside the borders of the country."
The two ministers inspected the completion of an extension of the existing fence along the river border with Turkey, which began last year, and the implementation of a hi-tech, automated electronic monitoring system, Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with Turkeys president, Tayyip Erdogan, on Friday.
Erdogan said on Thursday Turkey had also taken measures along its border with Iran and his country would not become "Europes migrant storage unit", Reuters reported.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/23713
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