Greek Reporter article

At the request of Greece, Bulgaria opened an Evros River dam located on its territory on Monday in order to cause intentional flooding and make it more difficult for migrants amassed at the Greek-Turkish border to cross the river, according to a Greek TV report.

The opening of the Ivaylovgrad Dam accordingly resulted in rising levels of the Evros River, Star TV reported.

As the standoff between thousands of migrants and refugees on the Turkish side of the Evros and Greek security forces continues, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis met his German counterpart Angela Merkel in Berlin and stressed that Greece and Europe cannot be blackmailed.

He pointed out that if the Turkish President wants a review of the EU-Turkey agreement on migration “which he has, himself, effectively demolished,” then he must take the following actions: Remove the desperate people from Evros and stop spreading disinformation and propaganda.

The Greek PM suggested that Erdogan should also examine other possible improvements, such as joint patrols to control the flow of migrants at the Turkish border. He also pointed out that the repatriation of those who illegally enter Greece should be possible from mainland Greece, as well as the islands.

”Greece has always recognized and continues to recognize that Turkey has played a crucial role in the management of the refugee issue — but this can’t be done using threats and blackmail,” he added.