Greece: The scenario of an increase in immigration pressures as a result of the tragic consequences of the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey is of great concern to the government, which, however, notes with satisfaction the conversion of Ankara, which appears in recent days to lower its tone towards Athens.
According to information, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the government were prepared for a “difficult” 2023 on the immigration front, even before the Egelados hit Turkey: attempts to enter Greece illegally had been increasing since the fall, with the phenomenon increasing in the first two months of the year, not so much in the Evros, where the security measures prove to be highly effective, as in the maritime borders of the country, although there are also significant achievements. As it is said, however, it is now possible for the situation to worsen.
Either, most likely, because due to the extreme living conditions and poverty that the devastating earthquake is expected to cause, even to a large part of the Turkish and Syrian population, many refugees and migrants may try to cross to Greece and through it to Europe.
Either because, as he has done in the past, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will attempt to instrumentalize immigration in order to reap the maximum possible benefits from Europe.
According to the same sources, the first fortnight of March may prove to be crucial for shaping further developments. Then the picture will be more “clear” on how, with what speed and with what degree of efficiency T. Erdogan will be able to manage the huge problems left behind by the Enceladus blow. At the same time, the level of international aid that it can expect will begin to become visible: already, by the Swedish presidency and the office of the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, the organization of a “donors’ conference” for Turkey is in the works.
As it is said, in the first phase, the acceleration of the disbursement of approximately 3 billion, which was decided to be allocated to Ankara to deal with the refugee, can be launched, but it is a question whether this specific move will be judged as sufficient by the Turkish president. Finally, the expected improvement in weather conditions, which will make it easier for migrants and refugees to cross to Greece, is expected to show whether a strong wave of pressure is indeed being created at the country’s sea borders.
At the same time, Erdogan is expected to make his final decisions on the timing of the Turkish elections: whether they will be held on May 14, as he had announced, whether they will be moved to June, or whether he will attempt an “expansive” interpretation of the Turkish Constitution. postpone them for later. Besides, if immigration is one aspect of Greek interest in the new – after the Richter murders – landscape in Turkey, the second is that the huge test the neighboring country is facing will affect bilateral relations.
