The refugee crisis as well as the EU-Turkey agreement and the recent failed coup were at the top of the agenda in the meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Greek government sources underlined that although Turkey has made significant progress in reducing the flow of refugees towards Greece and Europe, additional efforts are needed to uphold and fully-implement the agreement.
Although the Greek government supports Turkey in relation to visa-free travel and joining the EU, this demands that the Turkish government actually implements its part of the deal and carries out the necessary steps outlined in the relevant road map.
Regarding the extradition of eight Turkish officers who have requested asylum in Greece, PM Tsipras argued that the issue is being addressed based on international law and that these matters cannot be expedited. Although the Greek PM did not specifically refer to these eight officers, he noted that in general, those involved in coups are ‘not welcome in Greece’.