Greece's Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis visited the Greek-Turkish border region of Evros on Tuesday.
There he met with police and army officers at the border stations of Kastanies and Feres and examined the construction of the fence.
Referring to the situation that started in March, Chrysochoidis thanked the officers for their service and told them he was proud to be where the "battle without bullets" took place.
In March this year, Turkey attempted to asymmetrically invade Greece with the use of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Turkey had not only falsely told the illegal immigrants that Greece’s borders were open, but it also facilitated the transportation of the illegal immigrants and utilized their army to try and tear down Greece’s border wall. This damage is currently being repaired.
From February 28 to August 3 this year, over 60,000 illegal immigrants were prevented from entering Greece from the Evros area on the Greek-Turkish border region.
"You kept Greece and Europe standing," he added.
He also characterised the year of 2021 as a "year of security, defined by the coronavirus vaccines and the Evros border fence."
"In 2021, we will beat the virus and we will be a safe country, as both Greeks and Europeans, because the men and women of the armed forces and the police are guarding our borders effectively and are making us proud."
Commenting on the border fence currently under construction, the minister said it is a "project of historic significance for the country's security (...), which will be completed in a few months' time, all across the length of the Evros border."
The border fence project has a total budget of €62.9 million. It will have a total length of 27 kilometres and eight elevated observatories will be constructed to be used by the Hellenic Army. Moreover, the existing fence will be reinforced with a steel railing measuring 4.3 meters in height, instead of the current 3.5 meters.
Observatory post at Evros to keep illegal immigrants out is being constructed
