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Turkey has formally protested to Greece over the extension of a border fence along the Evros River, arguing that parts of the structure are being built on Turkish soil, Kathimerini has learned.<\/p>\n
The protest adds a fresh point of friction between the two neighbors, even as construction continues, according to sources.<\/p>\n
The central Evros fence project began in 2023 and was largely finished in early 2025. Work was left incomplete at at least seven points along its 35-kilometer length. Those stretches, mostly near Soufli and some near Didymoteicho, total about 5 kilometers.<\/p>\n
Greek military maps place the sites on the Greek side of the border. Turkey regards them as Turkish territory. The disagreement is tied in part to shifts in the course of the Evros River, which forms part of the frontier and has produced conflicting interpretations of the exact boundary line.<\/p>\n
Police sources said work at the disputed points was first paused for tactical and diplomatic reasons. One option considered was a movable barrier that could be repositioned if needed, rather than a permanent fence requiring foundations and fixed support columns.<\/p>\n
A further complication emerged in 2024, when Greek authorities began digitally mapping the border. Until then, maps had relied on analog surveys from 1926. \u201cSmall discrepancies emerged between the analog and digital representations,\u201d a diplomatic source said. \u201cThe technical services of the two countries must agree on a common mapping.\u201d A similar mapping issue arose between Greece and Turkey in 2024, the source added.<\/p>\n
About five months ago, Greek authorities decided to finish the fence in the contested areas according to Greek maps. Construction is proceeding with pile driving for permanent foundations; the movable-barrier idea has been dropped.<\/p>\n
That decision prompted Ankara to deliver a formal diplomatic protest, a note verbale, through the Greece-Turkey-Bulgaria contact point at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing.<\/p>\n