A delegation of Turkish farmers joined their protesting Greek counterparts in the extreme northeast port city of Alexandroupolis over the weekend as a show of solidarity for the demands made by the latter.
The development comes amid preparations for a threatened forceful protest in downtown Athens on Tuesday by Greek farmers, although the government has warned that farm machinery will not be allowed to enter the greater Athens area as part of efforts to block urban roadways.
According to thesstoday.gr, a delegation of Turkish farmers crossed over to the Greek side of the Thrace province from the Kipi border crossing to hold talks with their Greek counterparts.
“The challenges faced by farmers in Turkey mirror those in Greece: costly fuel and high production expenses. From Komotini (another city west of Alexandroupolis), we extend our solidarity to Greek farmers, who rightfully advocate for fundamental rights crucial to the future of agriculture,” one Turkish farmer said.
Kostas Kanavidis, representing protesting farmers in the Alexandroupolis area, expressed gratitude for the presence of Turkish delegation, stressing that “We are very pleased to have our Turkish colleagues with us, who demonstrate that issues faced by farmers are not limited only to Greece but also to the neighboring country.”
