The Greek Border Guard detains about 1,500 migrants on the river border with Turkey in one day

ATHENS, 22 Sep. (DPA/EP) –

The Greek Border Guard has detained nearly 1,500 migrants over the course of a day on the Maritsa River, the river border between Turkey and Greece.

This has been confirmed by the Greek Civil Protection Minister, Takis Theodorikakos, who has accused Ankara of being behind an “organized plan” for migrants to enter Greek territory.

In statements to the Greek television Saki TV, the minister denounced that vehicles of the Turkish security forces have taken migrants to the banks of the border river in several cases.

These accusations come while from Ankara the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accuses Athens of inciting migrants to cross into Turkey. Greece, however, accuses its neighboring country of inviting migrants to return to Syria or cross into Greek territory.

Illegal entry through the Maritsa River has increased in recent times, prompting the Greek authorities to almost completely close the border in the north-east of the country.

Athens has installed a 35-kilometre-long border fence and plans to more than double it to 80 kilometers. Greece thus joins Bulgaria, which has also sealed off much of its border with Turkey.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 10,000 people have managed to enter Greece by land or sea so far this year.