Mitsotakis calling Erdogan to avert Afghan refugee crisis at Greek-Turkish borders

Today's scheduled telephone contact on the Afghan refugee crisis between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the request of the former is on the Greek side a bid to secure an understanding that will avert a flood of refugees into Greece at the Greek-Turkish at Evros.

Athens appears poised to seal its land and sea borders and take all possible measures to avert a repetition of the February, 2020, Evros refugee crisis in which Ankara attempted unsuccessfully to push thousands of refugees across the border into Greece.

Greek diplomatic sources say that the PM's key argument is that is in neither country's interest to permit a large flow of refugees into Greece's borders, which of course are also EU borders.

Mitsotakis to seek cooperation as Greece, Turkey are in 'the same boat'

"Athens' argument is that cooperation with Ankara is necessary because the two countries and the broader region may suffer serious repercussions from a huge refugee flow from Afghanistan and so they are confronted with the same problem," Greek government sources say.

Defence, public order ministers inspecting Evros wall

The contact between Mitsotakis and Erdogan was scheduled even as Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos and Citizen's Protection Minister Michalis Chrisohoidis are conducting an urgent inspection of the Evros border wall, after an emergency meeting of the Government Council on National Security, where all possible scenarios were on the table. No details were made public.

Guarding borders, ad hoc cooperation

Sources close to the PM say that Mitsotakis will make clear to Erdogan that without cooperation on the refugee issue, "Greece will...