Greece repels migrant push

Clashes erupt at land border. Turkey says one person died and five were wounded.

KASTANIES, Greece — Greek authorities fired tear gas and stun grenades Wednesday morning to repulse a push by migrants to cross its land border from Turkey, as pressure continued along its frontier after Turkey said its own border with Europe was open to whoever wanted to cross.

Turkish authorities said one person was killed and five were wounded by fire coming from the Greek side — an assertion the Greek government strongly rejected, saying it was “fake news.”

The clashes were near the village of Kastanies, along a border fence that covers much of the land boundary not demarcated by the Evros river running along the frontier.

Turkey made good on a threat to open its borders and send migrants into Europe last week. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s action triggered days of violent clashes and scenes of chaos at the land border, where thousands of migrants and refugees have gathered.

The governor’s office for the Turkish border province of Edirne said one migrant was killed and five others wounded after Greek police and border units fired tear gas, blank bullets and live rounds at a group of migrants gathered at an area between the Turkish and Greek gates of Pazarkule and Kastanies.

A statement from Gov. Ekrem Canalp’s office said three migrants were injured in the foot, one in the groin and one in the head. A sixth who was hit in the chest died in the hospital, it said, adding that the incident occurred as the Turkish parliamentary committee on human rights was visiting the area.

Government spokesman Stelios Petsas categorically denied that any migrants had been wounded or killed by Greek authorities.

“The Turkish side creates and disperses fake news targeted against Greece. Today they created yet another such falsehood,” he said.

Greek authorities said Turkish police were firing tear gas at them, and supplied video that they said backed their assertion.

During the clashes earlier Wednesday, reporters on the Greek side of the border heard what sounded like gunfire, though it was unclear whether this was live ammunition. A group of people could be seen carrying what could have been a person between them, and running to the Turkish border post. Shortly afterward, an ambulance was heard leaving.

Reporters on the Turkish side of the border saw at least four ambulances leave the area.

The head of emergency services at Edirne’s Trakya University Hospital, Burak Sayhan, told journalists that six people had been admitted Wednesday, including one who was dead on arrival.

Greece’s sea border has also come under pressure. In the last few days, hundreds of people have headed to Greek islands from the Turkish coast. One child died when the dinghy he was in capsized off the Greek island of Lesbos this week.

Greek authorities said there were about 15,000 people along the land border Wednesday, and they had blocked 27,832 attempts to cross the border between Saturday morning and Wednesday morning. A total of 220 people who managed to cross were arrested.