Turkey crisis: EU man Weber threatens Erdogan with serious step - Germany sends police officers to Greece

In view of the worsening situation in Syria, a new asylum crisis threatens. Thousands of refugees are trying to cross the Turkish-Greek border. The situation has now escalated again.

• The situation on the EU's external border with Turkey is coming to a head.
• Turkey's President Erdogan threatens the European Union with the termination of the Refugee Pact.
• Tens of thousands of refugees are trying to enter the EU.

Update at 20.06 clock: The group leader of the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber (CSU), has the

Turkey threatened to suspend the customs union . The EPP Group leader thus reacted to Ankara's handling of migrants on the border with Greece . Weber tweets a “response” to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday: “End the blackmail of Europe at the expense of thousands of people, or the EU will suspend the customs union.” At the weekend, Turkey had declared the EU borders open to migrants - Since then, thousands have been trying to enter the EU.

The EU is by far the largest trading partner for Turkey. In 2018, EU imports from Turkey rose by 9.1 percent to 76.1 billion euros, according to the EU Commission. European investors are also important for the Turkish economy. Turkey is said to be the fifth largest trading partner for the EU.

Answer to Erdoğan: stop blackmailing Europe, at the expense of thousands of people, or the EU will suspend the Customs Union. 4/7

Also read Markus Mäckler's current commentary on how Germany should behave in the Syrian crisis *.

Turkey opens borders: Germany wants to send police officers

Update at 2:03 p.m .: To help Greece deal with the influx of refugees at the Turkish-Greek border, Germany wants to support the nation at the EU border with 20 additional border guards and a seaworthy helicopter . The Federal Interior Ministry said on request on Wednesday that the federal police officers would report to the European border agency Frontex. And Greece's government may well need help in these troubled times. Conditions on Lesbos off the Greek coast * are particularly dramatic. The island is completely overcrowded and unrecognizable.

Turkey: Greeks are said to have shot refugees at the EU border

Update at 12.49 p.m .: After the situation on the Turkish-Greek border has escalated again and a refugee has apparently been shot by Greek border guards, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked Europe to help his country find a political solution in Syria support . Before a meeting with EU Council President Charles Michel, Erdogan said in Ankara on Wednesday that this was the only way to cope with the migration crisis.

Meanwhile, two Turkish soldiers were killed again by Syrian government forces in northwest Syria, according to the Turkish government. The Ministry of Defense in Ankara also announced on Wednesday that six other Turkish soldiers had been injured. Turkish troops would have returned the attack immediately.

Turkey / Greece: Greek government denies killing at the border

Update at 12.25 p.m .: The news from Turkey that Greek border guards are said to have killed a refugee while attempting to cross the border , the Greek government "categorically" rejected and declared that it was one of the "false messages" launched by Turkey ".

Update at 12.20 p.m .: With the killing of a refugee by Greek border guards, the situation on the Greek-Turkish border has escalated again. But Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz , like Greece's head of state Kyriakos Mitsotakis, remains tough. On Wednesday, Kurz rejected the appeal by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen to accept refugees , reports the Austrian news portal oe24.at. "Our line as a federal government is clear, namely no additional voluntary admission to Austria", Kurz affirmed in Vienna at a media event that was supposed to be about the corona virus.

Turkey / Greece: gunfire at the border - a migrant was killed

Update at 11.54 a.m .: At the Turkish-Greek border , a migrant was killed by gunfire from Greek border guards . The AFP news agency initially reported this. A total of six refugees were injured by gunfire "with live ammunition", said the governor of the Turkish region of Edirne. A man was then killed by his chest injuries.

Update at 11:27 a.m .: CDU politician Friedrich Merz showed himself sympathetic towards the refugees on the Turkish-Greek border in an interview with focus.de . At the same time , he settled tough with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan . "I am moved by the fate of the people," Merz told f ocus.de with a view of the refugees. Europe must help the refugees locally , i.e. in Turkey and northern Syria. At the same time, the EU must also protect its external borders .

Merz clearly names Erdogan as the trigger for the renewed escalation at the Turkish-Greek border. "He uses the fate of the refugees in a particularly cynical way to distract from his own problems," Merz criticizes the Turkish head of state sharply. Merz also emphasizes that everything must be done now so that there is no loss of control like 2015 .

Turkey / Greece: Another riot on Wednesday - police use tear gas

Update at 9.32 a.m .: On the Greek-Turkish border in the northeast of Greece, there was another riot on Wednesday morning. From the Greek side, television pictures showed how hundreds of people tried to get through behind the border fence. Greek police used tear gas , but migrants also threw bullets over the fence .

Greek security forces had previously said repeatedly that migrants on the Turkish side had tear gas. As the Greek broadcaster Skai reported, around 12,500 refugees were waiting for a way to cross the border on the Turkish side.

Update 8.44 a.m .: Greece is now serious about deciding not to process asylum applications from new migrants and expelling them as soon as possible. A Greek Navy ship is expected on the island of Lesbos on Wednesday. This should take on board around 400 migrants who have arrived since March 1 . They will then remain on board for the time being and will later be taken to a closed camp on the mainland. Then they should be shown in their countries of origin . An officer of the coast guard confirmed this to the German Press Agency. The new migrants were also held on other islands in the east of the Aegean so that they could be expelled later.

Turkey / Greece: Green leader Baerbock appeals to Angela Merkel

Update 1.42 a.m .: Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock appeals to Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) to play a leading role in the conflict in Syria . As head of government of the strongest EU member state, Merkel "has a special responsibility," Baerbock told the newspapers of the Funke media group. She should assume this responsibility together with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and France's President Emmanuel Macron.

The European Union must use "all means of pressure" to get the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin and the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the negotiating table, Baerbock demanded. For this purpose, Merkel and Macron should invite to a Syria conference in Berlin or Paris. The Green leader referred to the example of the Berlin Libya conference in January. The ongoing conflict in Syria is the main reason for the large influx of refugees into Turkey .

Update of March 4, 0.48 a.m .: The situation on the Turkish-Greek border is precarious - one of the creators of the EU's refugee deal with Turkey, Gerald Knaus , is now demanding quick action. Germany would be the "biggest loser" of another crisis, he warns. Knaus advocates renegotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan . He also believes that a multi-billion euro payment from the EU makes sense.

Turkey crisis: thousands demonstrate in Berlin for border opening

Update, 10:11 p.m .: Several thousand people demonstrated in front of the Federal Chancellery in Berlin on Tuesday evening to open the EU borders to migrants. The police estimated the number of participants at 3500, the organizers of the " Seebrücke Berlin " at around 8000. The organizers said on Facebook that they wanted to "send a signal against the EU's foreclosure policy and for the opening of the borders". Similar rallies were held in Hamburg and other cities.

Von der Leyen visits Bulgaria's EU external border with Turkey

Update, 10:05 pm: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel viewed the Bulgarian EU external border with Turkey from a helicopter. They were accompanied on Tuesday by Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borissow , as the government in Sofia said. The entire 259 km long Bulgarian-Turkish land border is secured by fences with barbed wire and thermal cameras.

Von der Leyen and Miche l then met Prime Minister Borissow at the Sofia airport to talk about "migrant pressure and the events in Syria," the report said. "We were convinced of how committed you are to protecting the border," said Michel. He praised the “enormous effort” that was important for both Bulgaria and the whole European Union. Michel assured Sofia of European solidarity.

Ursula von der Leyen together with Charles Michel and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the way to the Turkish border.

© dpa / Dimitris Papamitsos

The heads of the EU institutions had previously visited the Greek external border with Turkey . Unlike on this border, the situation on the Bulgarian-Turkish border is quiet, according to official information from Sofia.

German Institute for Human Rights accuses EU of violating international law

Update, 9:03 pm: With support for the Greek foreclosure policy on the border to Turkey , the EU is complicit in a breach of international law, according to the German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) . In a paper published on Tuesday, the organization concluded that "a complete closure of the border crossings that Greece is currently carrying out" is, among other things, not compatible with the principle of non-refoulement. Greece must at least enable those who want to apply for asylum to apply for asylum.

"If the EU tolerates rigorous isolation and the use of violence at the Greek-Turkish border and if it even supports Greece by providing border guards within the framework of Frontex and technology, it shares responsibility for the breach of international law and possible violations of human rights," summed up the Institute.

Turkey crisis: Chancellor Merkel defends refugee agreement with Erdogan

Update, 5:08 p.m .: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) defended the EU refugee agreement with Turkey despite pressure from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Greece . The agreement is good for the European Union, said Merkel on Tuesday, according to participants in the meeting of the Union faction in the Bundestag in Berlin. Accordingly, she praised Greece and Bulgaria for their previous protection of the EU's external border.

The government in Athens is currently doing a different job than in 2015, Merkel said. According to this information, Merkel blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for ensuring that the four-man summit on the situation in the contested Syrian city of Idlib, which was actually envisaged this week, could not take place. Putin told her and French President Emmanuel Macron that he did not want such a meeting. Merkel had phoned Putin before the faction meeting.

Update, 4:41 pm: The situation on the Turkish-Greek border is precarious, said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Tuesday, according to participants in the meeting of the Union faction in the Bundestag. "If we make mistakes now, it is far from being correctable," the Interior Minister was quoted as saying. "We have to get this topic under control, otherwise we will have 2015 plus," said Seehofer accordingly. The Federal Minister of the Interior called for security of the EU's external border and said: "We have to make it clear that our borders are not open."

Turkey / Greece: EU announces billions in aid - von der Leyen speaks of "European shield"

Update, 4:11 p.m .: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis received the EU leadership on Tuesday at the border with Turkey ; In addition to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Charles Michel and EU Parliament President David Sassoli also traveled to get an idea of ​​the situation.

The first effect: the EU is providing Greece with 700 million euros to deal with the situation on the external border. The ARD reports. 350 million euros are immediately available, the rest can be requested.

During her visit, Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that it was not just a Greek but also a European border. She thanked Greece for being the “European shield” at the moment.

Turkey opens borders: Greece calls Erdogan smugglers and warns refugees

Update, 4:07 pm: According to the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek security forces have prevented more than 24,000 illegal border crossings in recent days and saved many people from the sea off the Aegean Islands. He described the crisis as a threat to his country and Europe. Mitsotakis now sent a clear message to the refugees: "We are in solidarity, we have hosted hundreds of thousands", but the message is clear: "Do not come to Greece illegally, do not try".

He also showed understanding that Turkey needed help with the refugee issue. On the other hand, he criticized the procedure. And refugees and migrants should not be used as peasant sacrifices. Turkey has operated as a smuggler by taking migrants to the border by bus and using tear gas, said Mitsotakis at the Kastanies border post on the Greek-Turkish border.

Turkey crisis: border guards are said to have shot refugees - leftists call for border opening

Update, 3:21 pm: The aid organization Doctors Without Borders is pressing for help for migrants on the Greek islands in the East Aegean. "We expect the federal government to no longer just watch and finally stand up for a solution that first and foremost respects and protects human lives," said Marie von Manteuffel from Doctors Without Borders on Tuesday. “Europe is capable and should be willing to put an end to this unbearable situation. As a first step, at least chronically ill children and their families in Germany and other EU countries must be taken in. "

The aid agency coordinator in Greece , Stefano Argenziano, complained: “It has been almost four years since the EU-Turkey deal played off human lives and political goals. We just have to see again that the EU member states want to prevent people from seeking protection by all means. "

Turkey crisis: Greece provides financial support from the Leyen

Update, 3:16 pm: The European Union provides Greece with up to 700 million euros to cope with the tense situation at its external borders. That said EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday during a visit to the Greek-Turkish border. 350 million euros are immediately available. Another 350 million could be requested. The money should be used for migration management and for the construction and operation of the necessary infrastructure. She was determined to provide the Greek authorities with all the operational support they needed.

Von Leyen emphasized that Greek worries are European. "This border is not only a Greek border, it is also a European border." She thanked Greece for being the "European shield" in these times. She also thanked the Greek border guards and the coast guard. At the same time, she expressed her sympathy for the migrants, who had been “lured into this desperate situation by false promises”.

In the direction of Turkey , von der Leyen said: "Those who want to test Europe's unity will be disappointed."

Now is the time for "concerted actions and cool heads and action based on our values". "Turkey is not an enemy and people are not just a means to achieve a goal."

Turkey crisis: border guards are said to have shot refugees - leftists call for border opening

Update, 2:59 p.m .: The left in the Bundestag calls for the Greek border to be opened to migrants and refugees who are persistent on the Turkish side. “The borders have to be opened. People must be helped in Greece, ”said faction leader Amira Mohamed Ali on Tuesday before a meeting of her faction in Berlin. Greece of course needs support for that. There should be immediate humanitarian aid and the right to asylum must be restored for Europe, she said.

The group leader called for a special EU summit . "It is necessary to work towards finding a common European solution." The situation shows the "total failure of the European Union in relation to the refugee situation". Mohamed Ali also pointed out that many municipalities in Germany had agreed to accept people.

Turkey crisis: border guards are said to have shot refugees - Turkish soldier dies in Syria

Update, 11:36: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis again stressed on Tuesday that there will be no border crossings to Greece from Turkey. "The morale is high, we are doing our job, given the national effort, the whole nation is united - nobody will happen illegally, " said a report by the Greek television station Skai. Greece cannot be blackmailed and cannot be blackmailed.

These words were preceded by action on Tuesday night. Greek security forces arrested a total of 45 migrants who had illegally crossed the border from Turkey. This was reported by the Greek state broadcaster ERT. In addition, the illegal entry of more than 5000 people was prevented .

Turkey / Greece: Erdogan wants to curb the influx of refugees

Update, 10:57 a.m .: While a video is circulating on social networks to show the killing of a Syrian by Greek border guards , another Turkish soldier has been murdered in Syria . He was killed by artillery fire in the Syrian province of Idlib on Monday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday. In addition, at least 34 Turkish soldiers were killed in an air raid in the Idlib region last weekend.

Erdogan wants to prevent other refugees from coming to Turkey because of the fighting in Idlib . In order to relieve his country from the influx of refugees, he announced on Saturday that the borders towards the EU were open to the refugees. Since then, thousands of migrants have been on their way to the Greek border.

Turkey / Greece: Erdogan demands fair burden sharing on refugees

Update of March 3, 2020, 8:07 a.m .: The Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan now explicitly asked Chancellor Angela Merkel for a fair burden sharing on the subject of refugees . He had already stressed in a television speech on Monday that the EU had to bear its “part of the burden”. In a phone call to Merkel, Erdogan then pointed out that the burden of the refugees and the responsibility for them had to be shared fairly and that international obligations had to be adhered to, it said on Tuesday night in a statement from Turkey. After the dramatic developments on the Greek-Turkish border , top politicians from the EU institutions are visiting the Greek border town of Orestiada today to get an idea of ​​the situation. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , EU Council President Charles Michel and the European Parliament President, David Sassoli , therefore travel to the northeast of Greece.

Turkey / Greece: Video to show refugee killed

Update, 8:45 p.m .: A video of a Syrian migrant allegedly shot by the Greek border guard has caused a stir on social networks. The government in Athens immediately called the content a fake. Government spokesman Stelios Petsas called it "Turkish propaganda" on Twitter. Other voices, however, consider the video to be real.

You can see a group of excitedly speaking men gathering around an apparently killed young man. The lifeless victim has blood on his face. There are at least two recordings of the scene on the net. "Go to the side so that he can breathe," can be heard there in Arabic. At the same time, the horror of those involved can be seen. A male voice says in Arabic that the Greek army is responsible for the incident.

Turkey / Greece border area: Was a refugee killed?

Journalist Mughira Al Sharif, who reports for the BBC, among others, wrote on Twitter that the casualty was a Syrian refugee from Aleppo . The Syrian was killed by the Greek border guards on Monday morning when trying to cross the Turkish-Greek border.

The prominent Arab TV journalist Jenan Moussa spread another shot of the scene. She wrote on Twitter that the 22-year-old victim from Aleppo was fatally hit by rubber bullets from the Greek border guards. You spoke to the young man's family. Due to the drastic images, we do not include the tweets here - a video can be seen here on Twitter.

Turkey has also accused the Greek coast guard of putting refugees at risk . Here, too, a video is spreading on the net, which should show how a boat of the Greek coast guard cuts off the path of a crowded inflatable boat. There is then a risk of capsizing. You can also see how a crew member apparently hits the people in the rubber dinghy with a stick and another Greek shoots first into the air and then into the water to intimidate the people. The recordings were leaked to Sky News .

The Turkish authorities have leaked a video to Sky-News to show the violent action by the Greek coast guard against people on a crowded inflatable boat. Unfortunately, it is feared that it is not a fake. #lesbos #lesvos #moria pic.twitter.com/nitzKxEEmt

Turkey / Greece: Erdogan threatens with millions of refugees

Update, 4.45 p.m .: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan harshly for dealing with refugees. "The Turkish president does not currently feel adequately supported," said Merkel in Berlin on Monday. With all understanding, however, it is “completely unacceptable that this should now be carried out on the backs of refugees. Because the refugees have now been put in a situation where they go to the border and basically end up in a dead end ”. In the meantime, Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis wonders whether Merkel really learned something from the refugee crisis of 2015.

EU Commissioner for Migration shoots against Erdogan: "Nobody can blackmail the European Union"

Update, 16:28: In view of the tense situation on the EU's external border with Turkey, Margaritis Schinas, EU Commissioner for Migration, has taken a sharp tone. "Nobody can blackmail and intimidate the European Union," said Schinas on Monday in Berlin.

The current situation is a crisis. However, it offers the EU the chance to "defend the external borders together, show solidarity with Greece and Bulgaria" and at the same time continue a comprehensive reform of the migration law.

Schinas said that he had already asked the EU interior and justice ministers to attend an extraordinary meeting to coordinate Greece's support. He also asked for "considerable reinforcement" from Frontex in the border region.

Turkey / Greece - Erdogan threatens: "Soon there will be talk of millions"

Update, 16:14: The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatens with many other refugees at the country's EU borders. He made the corresponding comments in two speeches in Ankara on Monday. "The time for one-sided willingness to make sacrifices is now over," he said. “Since the hour we opened our borders, the number of people heading to Europe has reached several hundred thousand. And there will be more. Soon there will be talk of millions, ”he said.

Turkey and Syria confrontation: Green leader calls for the admission of 5000 refugees

Update, 4:00 p.m .: Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock has demanded that Germany initially accept 5000 vulnerable people from refugee camps on Greek islands. For this there is an application from the Greens in the Bundestag, which can be decided quickly, said Baerbock on Monday in Berlin. She recalled that Germany had agreed to accept 27,000 refugees from Italy and Greece in 2016. However, only a good 10,000 had been included under the EU agreement.

The EU countries would have to ensure “for humanity and order” at the Greek-Turkish border via Frontex and the European asylum agency, said Baerbock. "It is a question of law and order." The EU's external border must not be opened uncontrolled, but there must be the possibility of an orderly border crossing. The people at the border would have to be cared for and registered, and those seeking protection should be brought to safety from the Greek islands.

Turkey / Greece: Federal government warns refugees - way to the EU is "of course not open"

Update, 3:24 p.m .: The federal government has warned refugees and migrants in Turkey against a move towards Europe. “We are currently experiencing a very worrying situation on the EU's external borders with Turkey, on land and at sea. We are seeing refugees and migrants who are told by the Turkish side that the way to the EU is now open, and of course it is not, ”said government spokesman Steffen Seibert in Berlin on Monday. When asked whether the Chancellor's sentence continued to apply that 2015 will not be repeated, he said: "It is valid."

After the opening of the border to the EU announced by Turkey, Greek security forces again used stun grenades and tear gas against hundreds of migrants. These had tried to cross the border at Kastanies and to get to Greece and thus to the EU, as reported by the Greek state television (ERT). The European crisis diplomacy is in full swing in view of the development.

The Turkish declaration "puts these people, men, women and children in an extremely difficult situation, and it also presents Greece with enormous challenges," said Seibert. He spoke explicitly of "refugees and migrants" - not everyone would be a refugee according to the current definition.

Against the background of the Syria conflict and the tense situation at the EU's external border , Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) warned against exploiting refugees. “We cannot allow refugees to be turned into geopolitical interests. Regardless of who tries it, you must always count on our resistance, ”said Maas in Berlin.

Turkey: Erdogan increases pressure on EU borders - remains open

Update, 2:26 pm: After the opening of the Turkish border for refugees , President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has increased the pressure on the EU . The borders remained open, Erdogan said on Monday in a televised address to party members. Now it is up to the EU to carry its "part of the burden". Against the background of increasing tensions in the Syria conflict , Erdogan wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Thursday. Both sides confirmed this on Monday.

Erdogan said he hoped that a fire break could be achieved in talks with Putin on Thursday. He hopes that Putin will take the necessary measures, such as a ceasefire, and that we will find a solution to this, Erdogan said. According to the Turkish Presidency, Erdogan will travel to Russia for a one-day visit.

The Kremlin said that cooperation with Turkey in the context of the Syrian conflict was a high priority. Russia "is extremely important to work with our Turkish partners," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow.

Update, 1.00 p.m .: The European border protection agency Frontex wants to respond quickly to the request of the Greek government for rapid intervention at the EU's external border . "We are looking at how we can best support Greece in the shortest possible time," the authority said on Twitter on Monday.

Escalation on the Turkish-Greek border: EU politicians want to get an idea of ​​the situation

Update, 12.13 p.m .: After there was a rush of people on the Greek-Turkish border at the weekend, the night there all seems to have been a quiet one, reports the Greek state television. From the Greek side, eyewitnesses observed on Monday morning that there were significantly fewer migrants on the Turkish side of the border crossing.

According to reporters , people in other places want to try to cross the border into Greece . Others would have pitched small tents around two kilometers away on the Turkish side. Some politicians have now reacted to the escalation of the situation at the Turkish-Greek border crossing. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Twitter on Monday that he would meet EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , EU Council President Charles Michel and President of the European Parliament David Sassoli on Tuesday at the Greek land border with Turkey. The EU's top politicians want to get an idea of ​​the situation.

Turkey / Greece border: Friedrich Merz (CDU) warns of "loss of control"

CDU politician Friedrich Merz warned of a situation like 2015 in view of the influx of refugees . According to him, there must be a signal to the refugees that "there is no point in coming to Germany," Merz told the MDR on Monday. And further: "We can not admit you here." If there should be another situation like last 2015, Germany must of course also have control over its own borders , said Merz. The word “loss of control” was rightly used in Germany in 2015 and 2016. This must not be repeated, Merz demands.

Update, 10.44 a.m .: Sad news from the island of Lesbos : As the German press agency reports, a toddler drowned in a rubber dinghy off the island on Monday morning . The victim had come on board the inflatable boat with 48 migrants from Turkey , Greek television reported, citing the coast guard. When the migrants saw a patrol boat from the Greek coast guard, they perforated the inflatable boat to be rescued as a shipwreck.

Turkey / Greece / Syria: Any help came too late for the toddler

Because then the coast guard is obliged to take in people and bring them to Greece. The boat sank on Monday morning and the coast guard saved the migrants. But all help came too late for the toddler, the state broadcaster reported.

Update, 9.48 a.m .: ARD reporter Michael Schramm was on site late Sunday afternoon at the Turkish-Greek border in Katanies near the Turkish city of Edirne. There, hundreds of migrants tried to storm the border on Sunday afternoon, it says at tagesschau.de .In the evening, Schramm gave an assessment of the situation in the daily topics. "It is terrifying to see the number of refugees in front of the border fence increasing," he said. You can tell that many refugees are in despair if they have to survive outdoors at night. The reporter also reports that there are groups among the refugees that are very aggressive . "There is always a rumor that there are also Turkish intelligence officers among them who take on certain management functions."

Turkey / Greece / Syria: Greek military is on a tough course

On the other hand, would the Greek security forces a drive very hard course , Schramm says further: "There are many water cannons used and much tear gas ." The Greek government has also decided yesterday, a month each refugee, the succeeds in Greece to be considered illegal. "There will be no asylum procedure for them and they will have to be deported immediately." What the Greeks are currently doing is a classic push-back , explains Schramm.

In the ARD morning magazine , a family man also tells of the hard work of the Greek military , thereby confirming Schramm's observations. "The police used tear gas again and again," he says. "Our baby was then very bad." Repeatedly large groups of refugees on buses came to the border free of charge, according to the morning magazine's article. It is not known who provided the buses.

Escalation on the Turkish-Greek border: Refugees with tough accusations against the Greek military

The refugees try to use rubber dinghies to get through the river Evros , on the other side of which lies Greece. But the Greek military is waiting there , against which many refugees are making serious accusations . The soldiers are supposed to take away valuables and food from the refugees , beat the men and send people back to Turkey, reports a refugee. Nevertheless, many refugees spent the night of Monday on the border between Turkey and Greece - despite the freezing temperatures. So far, the situation is not in sight.

Update, 8.15 a.m .: Due to the massive influx of refugees , Greece now has the highest alarm level. One of the plans is to increase patrols on land and water in the northeast of the country.

As it also became known, the border protection agency Frontex predicts in a confidential paper that there will be "mass migration flows" from Turkey to the EU.

Turkey / Greece / Syria: Frontex with a bleak forecast

Update, March 2, 7:20 am: The situation on the Turkish-Greek border will come to a head in the coming days - this is how the EU border protection agency Frontex assesses the situation. "It will be difficult to stop the massive flow of people who have traveled," says an internal Frontex report. According to Frontex, “pressure can still be expected to rise in the coming days” .

The inventor of the refugee agreement with Turkey, Gerald Knaus, also warned of another refugee crisis, which will be worse than that of 2015. The current situation on the Turkish-Greek border is now heavily discussed in politics and society - the TV Talk by and with Anne Will had to be canceled on Sunday evening despite this blatant topic. Twitter users made their anger clear on the net.

Turkey / Greece / Syria: UN building on fire - Özdemir accuses Erdogan of "extortion"

Update 10:48 p.m .: Greece will not accept new asylum applications for a month. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Twitter on Sunday.

Update 10:23 pm: Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissow travels to Ankara on Monday to talk to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the situation in Syria and refugee movements. As the Bulgarian government announced on Sunday, the two will have dinner "discuss actions that will help to overcome the crisis in Syria and stop the migratory pressure."

Update 9:26 pm: In Greece, the highest level of alarm has been in place for security forces since Sunday evening. This applies to both the military and the police, said a government spokesman after a Security Council meeting chaired by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on state television.

In addition, the government spokesman accused Turkey of acting as a kind of “smuggler” and persuading migrants to come to Greece. Athens also wants to apply for additional help from the European border agency Frontex and financial aid from the EU , it said. The government spokesman said that illegally arrived people should - if possible - be expelled to their countries of origin.

Escalation in Lesbos: UN building on fire, politicians report terrifying conditions

Update at 9:12 p.m .: The opening of the borders towards the EU by the Turkish government not only has dramatic consequences at the Turkish-Greek border crossing at Kastanies / Pazarkule (see 5:18 p.m.) - the situation, which has already been tense for a long time , is also getting worse , as is the case Eyewitnesses report. But despite the aggravation of the situation due to Erdogan's latest move, the EU should not allow itself to be blackmailed *, commented Merkur editor Alexander Weber.

Angry islanders left around 50 migrants in a rubber dinghy in the port of Thermi on Sunday , AFP photographers reported. They shouted "Go back to Turkey," insulted a representative of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), attacked some journalists and photographers. There were also children among the refugees. Near the beach at Skala Sykamineas, an AFP photographer watched Greeks set fire to an unused UN refugee welcome center . According to the picture , the perpetrators were right-wing extremists.

The MEP Erik Marquardt (Green) confirmed the reports in an interview with the taz and shared a video of the burning UN building. According to him, some of the boats that were unable to maneuver and that were occupied by refugees had not yet been rescued by the coast guard, and in some cases only after repeated insistence. Groups of masked young men threatened and attacked aid workers and journalists, he said. The conditions in the Moria refugee camp are "terrible": "Everything is full of dirt and mud, the hygienic conditions are a disaster."

The former reception center “Stage 2” on #Lesbos was set on fire. Humanitarian workers have been attacked and do not dare to leave the house. The press cannot move freely on the island either. Police are threatening instead of helping. Europe 2020. It's so shameful. #Lesvos https://t.co/RYvB7ylAMG

Marquardt's party friend Cem Özdemir has meanwhile been heavily criticized on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Twitter . The "military adventure alongside terrorist Islamists" in Syria cost 53 Turkish soldiers their lives within a month, he wrote. Erdogan is now instrumentalizing the refugees "to extort money".

Chaos on the Turkish border: Herrmann warns of "blackmail"

Update 5.40 pm: Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) accuses Turkey of "unfair methods" and politics "on the back of the refugees". In view of the opening of the Turkish borders with Greece and Bulgaria, Herrmann told the newspapers of the Funke media group that Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government apparently wanted to increase the pressure on the EU to get more money.

Germany should not be blackmailed , emphasized Herrmann. At the same time, he does not expect the Turkey deal to burst - the government in Ankara should have no interest in that. "It is not a one-sided agreement. Turkey also benefits from this, among other things through the billions in payments from the EU. ”

Herrmann tried to appease. There is currently “no new wave of refugees in Germany”. In addition, the Bavarian border police are "excellently positioned". However, the minister reiterated his call for the EU border agency Frontex to be significantly expanded .

Turkey: EU foreign ministers plan special meeting - at the request of Greece

Update 5:33 pm: The EU foreign ministers are meeting this week at the request of Greece for a special meeting due to the escalation of the conflict in Syria . This was announced by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday. He did not give an exact date. The EU must double its efforts to end "this terrible humanitarian crisis with all the means at its disposal," said Borrell, calling for a ceasefire in Syria.

Also read about the allegations Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was facing in the run-up to the general election in his country.

Turkey: 75,000 people on the border? Greece uses water cannons and tear gas

Update 17:18: To prevent migrants from crossing the border from Turkey to Greece , the Greek police used heavy water cannons and tear gas on Sunday . Greek media showed a short video of what happened at a border crossing on the Evros River, which has been closed since Friday.

A Greek police water cannon is used against refugees on the Turkish-Greek border.

© AFP / SAKIS MITROLIDIS

According to media reports, the migrants had previously hurled stones and other objects at the riot police. A police officer is said to have been injured, according to reports from Greek radio.

Large groups of migrants from numerous countries in the Middle East and Africa have been trying to get to Greece from Turkey via the already closed border crossing at Kastanies / Pazarkule since Friday . The government in Athens has repeatedly stated that Greece will not tolerate illegal border crossings.

Turkey: Green leader Baerbock wants to reactivate German refugee accommodation as a precaution

Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock proposed a quota solution for the admission of migrants from the Turkish-Greek border, in which Germany should also participate. The EU had a duty to support Greece in dealing with the situation by all means - financially, in terms of personnel, with relief supplies and materials, Baerbock demanded in the "world". "We can't pretend that it's none of our business."

Specifically, it is important to set up initial reception facilities at the EU's external borders under high pressure *.“Refugees who cross the border have to be registered there quickly, subjected to a security check and a data comparison. Of course we have to know who comes to us, ”argued Baerbock. "Then contingents of refugees should be distributed as quickly as possible in the EU in order to carry out the asylum procedures there." "Germany should reactivate its own capacities for refugee accommodation," explained Baerbock.

Turkey claims: Have over 75,000 migrants migrated to the EU

Update 2.45 p.m .: According to their own information, until 10 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, 76,358 migrants let the border towards the EU pass . The Turkish interior minister Süleyman Soylu said on Twitter that they had headed for the EU across the border in the province of Edirne. In the province of Edirne there are border crossings to Greece and Bulgaria. However, initially neither Sofia nor Athens confirmed the arrival of large numbers of migrants.

Migrants at a closed Turkish-Greek border crossing

© picture alliance / dpa / Ahmed Deeb

According to Sunday's Ministry of Migration in Athens , Greek police have so far prevented around 9,600 migrants from crossing the border . The country also strengthened its units on the border. According to the UN Organization for Migration, more than 13,000 people remain on the Turkish side. They hope to enter the EU after Turkey has made it clear that it is no longer stopping migrants.

Erdogan has opened gates to the EU - the situation on the Greek border is coming to a head - pressure on Merkel is growing

First report March 1, 2020, 8.45 a.m .: Ankara / Berlin - After the opening of its borders towards the EU announced by Turkey, more than 13,000 migrants have arrived at the border with Greece, according to the UN Organization for Migration . Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Twitter that by Saturday evening 36,776 migrants had crossed the border to the European Union. The neighboring EU neighboring countries Greece and Bulgaria could not confirm this.

Erdogan opens gates to EU refugee deal with Turkey threatens to fail

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country was no longer holding refugees on their way to Europe. Erdogan said on Saturday that the "gates" of Turkey are now open to refugees who want to go to Europe. There were first clashes at border crossings to Greece on Saturday, in the course of which tear gas was also used against the advancing migrants.

Turkey's actions violate the refugee pact with the EU in 2016. Erdogan justified this by saying that the EU did not adhere to the refugee pact concluded in March 2016. Ankara undertook to take back all refugees arriving in the Greek Aegean Islands and to take more action against gangs of traffickers. In return, the EU promised Turkey billions in aid, accelerated visa facilitation and the modernization of the customs union. Erdogan may now be trying to extort more money from the EU to accommodate and care for the refugees.

Turkey is under pressure because of the offensive that Syria's dictator Bashar al-Assad is currently leading in the last rebel stronghold Idlib with military support from Russia . According to the UN, almost a million people have been displaced since December , so that the number of refugees continues to increase in Turkey. Turkey has already taken in more than 3.6 million refugees from Syria.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel are concerned about the situation on the EU's external borders with Turkey. "Our top priority is that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support," tweeted von der Leyen on Saturday evening. The EU is ready for further support, also with additional forces from the EU border protection agency Frontex.

Our top priority at this stage is to ensure that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support. We stand ready to provide additional support including through #Frontex on the land border. (2/2)

Turkey-EU crisis: Greens and FDP increase pressure on Chancellor Merkel

In view of the escalation of the refugee situation on the EU border with Turkey, the Greens now see Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) as an obligation. A green solution was needed for the distribution of refugees, the Green Party leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt said in the newspapers of the Funke media group from the federal government. If necessary, Merkel would have to forge an "alliance of the willing" .

FDP General Secretary Linda Teuteberg called for completely different consequences in view of the reports on the opening of the borders by Turkey. "Payments to Turkey must be suspended immediately if President Erdogan breaks agreements," Teuteberg told Bild on Sunday . Merkel must now "put all its weight into play" so that a situation like 2015 does not repeat itself. In addition, she must emphasize "that an uncontrolled migration to Germany is prevented by all means of the rule of law".

Norbert Röttgen (CDU) campaigns for understanding Erdogan's approach - "A call for help"

The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Norbert Röttgen (CDU), has warned the European Union to react harshly to the latest proposals by Turkish President Erdogan. Its announcement that Turkey's borders with the EU will be open to refugees has "the external form of a threat", but the content is "a call for help" to Europe, said Röttgen of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung . "This is how we should understand it and not as a provocation," warned Röttgen. Erdogan had failed in his attempt to work with Russia in Syria, and that is exactly what he is now signaling to the West. His announcement that he would now keep the Turkish borders open to refugees with the aim of the EU would be: "Look, I have failed with my Russia policy, and now I need the Europeans."

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

List of rubric lists: © dpa / Giannis Papanikos