Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has sent a strong warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, telling him not to threaten Greece and Europe in order to secure more money from the European Union
Mitsotakis' comments came after Erdogan on Thursday said Ankara would open the borders for refugees if Turkey did not receive more international aid to manage the migrant situation.
Speaking in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on Sunday, Mitsotakis said Erdogan was welcome to discuss any renegotiation of the agreement with the EU, but "not with threats."
Mitsotakis also called out other EU countries for not doing enough to address the current increase in refugees.
"It can't be possible for a country to refuse to take in 50 or 100 children," he said. "Some states want all the benefits of freedom of movement afforded by the Schengen agreement, but refuse to share burdens."
Turkey has taken in 3.6 million Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, more than any other country. Following a 2016 agreement with the EU, Ankara has received €6 million meant to assist the Turkish government in its support for the refugees and indirectly stem onward movement to Europe.
Greece's recent change of government has led to a more hard-line approach to those arriving on its shores. The new conservative government has called for anyone who fails to be approved for asylum in Greece to be deported to Turkey.