The Turkish–Greek Border Crisis and COVID-19

Abstract

This essay examines the emergence and the escalation of a border crisis between Turkey and Greece. On February 27th, Turkey opened its Greek border to asylum seekers and migrants which led to the gathering of thousands of people on the border. The border crisis escalated as Greek forces repelled people who forced their way into Greece. Even though the border crisis deescalated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey’s political maneuvering with the European Union (EU) regarding the movement of asylum seekers is not off the table.