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Panic would be a terrible test of the endurance of the system, which is already being battered by both the huge 10-year economic crisis and by the system’s chronic dysfunctions.

'In the last 10 days we have shown that we can defend our national and European sovereignty. Greece and Europe cannot be blackmailed by anyone,' the PM told the German-Hellenic Economic Forum.

Erdogan can do anything in the darkness that surrounds him but that is also his Achilles’ heel – the prospect of being destroyed by his megalomaniacal nature and abuse of the tools he believes he has at his disposal.

One cannot over-emphasise everyone’s individual responsibility as there were acts and events that violated state-issued guidelines, such as a ban on carnivals which was defied by many in Patras,

Erdogan appeared unimpressed by what the EU was offering so far, saying the Union was always offering help but then falling short or not stepping up.

“Why did he (Erdogan) do this to us if he knew Greece won’t let us cross?” she asked, sitting on a rug near a pile of bags full of clothes and diapers for her sons, aged 13 and 7.

Greece is now confronted with a public health crisis. It has become abundantly clear from other recent crises that one cannot manage an emergency without cooperation, maturity, and compliance with the rules and regulations.

The Greek government displayed quick reflexes from the beginning of the crisis when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to open his side of the Greek-Turkish border.

From that perspective, Germany has an historic obligation to lead Europe to abandon the role of passive observer as regards Syria and make it an active player.

Complete implementation of COVIT-19 prevention guidelines set by experts is the only way to protect our own health and that of others – especially those in vulnerable groups.

The first confirmed case from that trip was a 66-year-old man who is currently in an isolated intensive care area in the University Hospital of Rio, 10 kilometres from the port city of Patras.

' Turkey is facing on its territory and the substantial efforts it has made in hosting 3,7 million migrants and refugees, it [THE eUROPEAN cOUNCILstrongly rejects Turkey's use of migratory pressure for political purposes.

One senior EU diplomat said the EU had squandered the time since the 2016 deal, brushing the problem under the carpet by paying for refugees and migrants to be kept in Turkey.

Solidarity with Greece in handling the migration crisis must be continual and uninterrupted and must be offered with a swiftness to which the EU is not accustomed

Officials in Brussels are reportedly enraged with Erdogan’s behaviour as Reuters reports but they realise that they are essentially being held hostage and they are considering offering new funding to Ankara, effectively caving in to his blackmail.

'Despite the continuous assurances of my Turkish counterpart that Turkey is honouring its commitments from the Joint Statement of 2016, Ankara is brazenly violating it not only proclaiming that the borders are open, but also helping thousands of unsuspecting people to reach our land or sea borders,' the Greek foreign minister said.

The defiance of the decision of authorities to ban carnivals was not linked to socio-economic demands or rights. It was a socially thoughtless and irresponsible act which ignored the whole of society.

'We have just been to the border area and have seen how tense and how difficult the situation is. The Greek authorities are facing a very difficult task in containing the situation and I want to thank the Greek border guards, the coast guards, the civilians, the police, the servicemen and servicewomen, and Frontex for their tireless effort, said Ursula von der Leyen.

The telephone contact with the US president came on the eve a highly symbolic visit of top EU officials to the Evros Greek-Turkish border region

' It is part of the Frontex mandate to assist a Member State confronted with an exceptional situation, requesting urgent support with officers and equipment from all EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries,' said Frontex executive director Fabrice Leggeri.