Greece Turkey Border Fence Extension

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Greece has begun extending a border wall along its frontier with Turkey to deter migrants from trying to enter the European Union.
A total of 26 km of wall will be added to the existing 10 km fence along the Evros River.
The €63 million extension will add 5 metre-high fencing and upgrade the existing sections of the wall by using galvanized square steel tubes and concrete foundations

Greek-Turkish relations

Greece won independence from modern Turkey’s precursor, the Ottoman Empire, in 1830.
Issues plaguing their relations –

Turkey hosts around 4 million refugees, mostly from Syria.
It often threatens to reopen the migrant route from the Middle East, which at its peak in 2015 resulted in thousands of people drowning in the Mediterranean Sea.
2015 – About 1 million people reached Greece and Italy via this route where many still live in crowded displacement camps.
2016 – Turkey agreed to prevent migrants from crossing into the EU
In return, EU promised funds to help Turkey manage the refugees on its soil.
2019 – Turkey attacked northern Syria and sought help/Support from EU

A border standoff earlier this year has helped drive Greek-Turkish relations to a dangerously low ebb.
February 2020 – Turkey said it would no longer stop migrants from trying to cross into Europe.
Thousands of refugees tried to cross the border illegally – encouraged by Turkish forces, pushed back by Greek forces.

Greece has requested the EU to consider suspending its custom union agreement with Turkey.
Greece had called on three EU partners, including Germany, to halt arms exports to Turkey.