Officials said Greece was digging a 120-kilometer moat along the
northeastern border with Turkey. They said the 30-meter moat would stop
the flow of illegal migrants as well as Turkish hostilities.
"In the era of an economic and moral decline in Greece, the huge defense
project of the highest strategic importance will serve as a positive example
of how the state sector can work quite differently, be exclusively
productive and competitive and without sponging on the economy," the Greek
daily Vima said.
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In a report on Aug. 4, Vima said the trench was being dug along the
Evros River. The newspaper said the seven-meter deep moat could prevent an
infantry attack from Turkey.
"But the main thing is that the project will radically change the
unfavorable geographic situation of that important section of Greek
territorial defense," Vima said.
Officials confirmed the Vima report. They said the project was meant to
increase border security amid lack of cooperation by Turkey.
Greece also plans to erect a fence along a 12.5 kilometer section of its
northeastern border with Turkey. Officials said the fence was meant to stop
the flow of tens of thousands of Middle East and African migrants to the
European Union state.