Greek-Turkish Border Dispute Flares Over Fence Built in Contested Territory

A 35-kilometre border fence along the Evros River has become the latest source of tension between Greece and Turkey. Ankara has formally protested the continuation of construction, arguing that some sections are being built on Turkish territory. Greek authorities rely on their own maps and say the land belongs to Greece.

The fence began in 2023 and was completed in early 2025, but work remained unfinished at at least seven points covering about five kilometres. Most of those locations are near Soufli, with others around Didymoteicho. Construction has continued despite the disagreement, according to reporting by the Greek newspaper Kathimerini.

The dispute is complicated by changes in the course of the Evros River, part of the border between the two countries. Greek military maps place the contested areas in Greece, while Turkey says they fall on its side of the frontier. Police sources said work was initially halted at the disputed points for tactical and diplomatic reasons. Officials also considered a movable barrier that could be relocated if the countries reached a different agreement on the border route.

Another difficulty surfaced in 2024, when Greece began digitally mapping the frontier. Earlier maps relied on analogue measurements made in 1926. A diplomatic source told Kathimerini that “small discrepancies appeared between the analogue and digital representations.” The technical services of both countries must agree on a shared mapping, the source said.

Greek authorities decided about five months ago to complete the fence in the contested areas. The decision has brought the territorial disagreement into the open while construction proceeds along a frontier where both sides dispute the exact line.

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Small discrepancies appeared between the analogue and digital representations.