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Greek state minister: We are faced with an inhumane use of people to further a geopolitical agenda

Featured Greek state minister: We are faced with an inhumane use of people to further a geopolitical agenda

"Excessive force has not been used. No bullets have been used. The Greek army and police forces have used all kinds of proportionate measures to keep all these people away from Greece's borders," State Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis told CNN on Friday.

"Turkish officials have been indulging in an over-the-top propaganda. There is a video, which was presented to the cabinet meeting on Thursday, in which all the people gathered at the Greek border were accompanied by Turkish authorities. There have been messages saying that the borders are open. President Erdogan has personally said that everyone should go to the border and has threatened Europe with an influx of migrants and refugees," Gerapetritis said.

He underlined that "of those who crossed the Greek border illegally, only 4 pct came from Syria. It is therefore obvious that all this has nothing to do with the crisis in Syria. The majority of people come from Afghanistan, Pakistan and sub-Saharan Africa. And, of course, they have gathered there with the help of the Turkish authorities. They are very fluent in Turkish, which means that they have been in the country for quite some time."

The Greek government and the European Union are absolutely convinced that Europe is faced with an inhumane use of people as tools in the pursuit of a geopolitical and diplomatic agenda, Gerapetritis said.