• Turkey counterattacks in Syria. New raids on civilians in Idlib, escalation risk
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  • Syria crisis, Erdogan: 5 March summit with Russia, France and Germany

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February 29, 2020: Clashes between Greek police and migrants attempting to cross the border between Turkey and Greece. Greek police reported that around 1,200 people gathered on the Turkish side of the Kastanies border crossing. Some managed to get around the controls and to cross the river that marks the border aboard small boats. The migrants threw stones at the police who repelled them with tear gas and stun grenades.

"Security forces prevented illegal crossing of the border all night." This was stated by Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos this morning, reiterating Athens' commitment to prevent the entry of refugees after Ankara allowed their transfer to the border areas in response to the escalation with Syria. The minister said several arrests were made.

Greece has also increased controls in the arm of the sea between the eastern Aegean islands and the Greek coast, said Minister of Islands and Navigation Policies, Ioannis Plakiotakis. "The Greek borders are also the borders of all Europe," he added.

Mitsotakis: Greece prevented 4,000 migrants from Turkey from entering "illegally"
Greece has prevented 4,000 migrants arriving from Turkey from entering the country "illegally" and therefore into Europe. This was announced by the government of the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who summoned an emergency cabinet this morning after clashes took place overnight, on the land border with Turkey and also in the islands of Lesbos and Chios, between migrants and police.

Ankara claims to have been forced to loosen controls on refugees attempting to leave to enter Europe due to the continued arrival of new refugees from Syria, fleeing the advance of Damascus forces from the rebel-controlled area in Idlib province .

In Istanbul crowds migrants to buses to Greece, prices + 30%
The influx of migrants continues in Istanbul's Bayrampasa station, where the hunt for a ticket to the border with Greece has recorded a 30% increase in prices and has led operators to plan 2-3 extra trips on a daily basis , which however cannot satisfy all requests. A continuous flow of migrants, which continued also in the night, chasing the dream of reaching the border of Edirne-Pazarkule, and then continuing on foot to Greece, beyond the natural border of the Evros river.

The managers of the transport companies reached by AGI speak of a continuous flow of requests and extra hours for their drivers, which justifies the increase in prices, with migrants who choose the passage to the city of Tekirdag in case they are not places available for Edirne, but "we are unable to satisfy all requests". The majority are Afghans, Syrians and some Iranians, all people who already lived in Turkey, because the border with Syria has been closed since 2017 and that with Iran, the passage of the many Afghans, is currently armored due to the coronavirus.

Erdogan: "Open borders between Turkey and Europe"
The borders between Turkey and Europe "are open". "We will not close the doors to refugees. The European Union must deliver on its promises." Turkish President Erdogan said this in a speech in Istanbul, about migrants who are trying to cross the border between Turkey and Greece in these hours and refugees arriving from the Syrian province of Idlib where the clash between the forces is underway and the Syrian government agencies of Bashar al-Assad supported by Russia. Erdogan reiterated: "Turkey cannot face a new wave of refugees". In reference to the killing of 30 Turkish soldiers in an air raid in Idlib province, the Turkish president stressed: "Turkey has destroyed chemical sites in Syria".