Tsipras: ‘We are facing a geopolitical threat from Turkey’
Greece is facing a "geopolitical threat" from Turkey on its borders, main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday afternoon, commenting on the standoff at the Greek border with Turkey where thousands of migrants and refugees are stranded at the buffer zone, hoping to be allowed to enter the European Union.
Tsipras said Ankara is "using refugees as political tool," noting that the problem is not limited to migration, but extends to challenges to Greece's sovereign rights.
"The government should have foreseen Turkey's blackmail, as it has been threatening [to open the borders] for a long time," he told Mega TV and criticized the government for not having decongested the overcrowded island camps sooner.
He said Athens must seek substantial EU support and request specific sanctions against Ankara.
The opposition leader noted that the government "was right in closing the border, but its communication ploys do not help."
He criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for not summoning a council of political leaders, adding that a consensus is needed by all parties.
Commenting on Tuesday's visit to Evros by key EU officials with the prime minister, Tsipras said that European leaders have so far "made no statements" criticising Turkey.
[ANA-MPA]
