BERLIN – Turkey “clearly bears the responsibility for leading desperate people to an impasse,” German State Secretary and government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Monday, commenting on the thousands of migrants who are trying to enter Greece after Turkey opened its borders and encouraged them to cross at the Evros region borders.

Seibert reiterated the German government’s solidarity and support to Greece and said the European Union “must speak with Turkey” to resolve the issue.

He also spoke of humanitarian behavior towards migrants and refugees, and called on state media to respect the right proportions. “Only state powers must take care of order along Europe’s external borders,” he noted, warning that “self-styled defense groups by citizens and extreme rightists, who arrive from abroad, have no business” at the borders.

As a country at the EU’s external borders, Greece has a difficult job to do, controlling and defending these borders, the German spokesman said. “Greece has Germany’s support and solidarity in anything related to guarding the borders and hosting and caring for refugees and migrants arriving in it,” he added.

(ANA/F. Karaviti)