Greek Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos on Saturday accused Turkey of cruel and immoral arming of illegal migrants, Kathimerini reported.

On Skai TV, Theodorikakos said that in August alone, 40,000 illegal migrants tried to cross the Greek border through Evros, and that the number has reached 150,000 since the beginning of the year.

There is no doubt that the flow of thousands of migrants is being directed by Turkey, he added, predicting that it will continue to blackmail Europe and Greece. Theodorikakos noted that Greece is implementing the so-called 'Akritas' plan to protect the border on Evros, adding that Europeans should help these efforts.

Relations between Greece and Turkey have always been tense. The situation has escalated since 1974, when Ankara's invasion brought the northern part of Cyprus under Turkish control.

Tensions flared up again in 2020, when Ankara explored gas fields off the coast of Cyprus.

Since then, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has regularly voiced threats against Greece.