A Turkish national on Wednesday was arrested in almost the exact border spot where two Greek servicemen were intercepted by a Turkish military patrol two months ago, although in the latest incident the arrested individual was picked up by a Greek patrol.
According to still unconfirmed press reports, the man is a municipal worker employed by the nearby Edirne municipality. He was reportedly riding a tractor and clearing fields in the vicinity when he strayed into Greek territory.
Greek authorities are reportedly heading to the area.
Such incidents over past decades have been quite routine, with military personnel from both countries straying into the other’s territory. When previously detained, the border violators are usually identified and released after a few hours, with mediation occurring at the brigade level – i.e. between local military commanders.
However, the arrest and subsequent pre-trial incarceration of Greek army officers Angelos Mitretodis and Dimitris Kouklatzis (NCO) has dramatically changed the situation in the region.
The pair was detained after allegedly straying several meters into Turkish territory on March 1 along a poorly demarcated point on the Greek-Turkish land border, essentially a salient that extends west of the Evros (Maritza) River, and across from border city of Edirne. Most of the rest of the Greek-Turkish border in Thrace is delineated by the river.
