Greek farmers’ blockade shuts key Greece–Türkiye border route

Heavy-vehicle traffic at the Bahçeköy–Kipi Border Gate, one of the principal road links between Greece and Türkiye, was suspended late Tuesday after Greek farmers blocked the Greek side of the crossing. Customs officials confirmed to Anadolu that trucks and other large vehicles cannot pass, though private cars are still being processed without interruption.

Nationwide protests escalate

Farmers across Greece have been organizing road blockades for weeks, targeting major intercity routes to draw attention to rising production costs and delays in agricultural compensation. Tensions escalated on Sunday when protesters clashed with police near the central city of Larissa, underscoring growing frustration in the agricultural sector.

Disputes over subsidies and oversight

Farmers say they will continue to ramp up demonstrations until Athens addresses long-standing issues tied to the state agricultural payments authority, OPEKEPE. The agency was dissolved in May after large-scale irregularities came to light, including fraudulent pasture claims and misallocated funds. The European Commission later imposed a €392.2 million penalty on Greece for oversight failures dating back to 2016.

Impact on Türkiye–Greece border traffic

The blockade at the Türkiye border comes at a time when regional transport routes are particularly important for trade and travel. Turkish authorities are monitoring the situation as negotiations between Greek protesters and government officials proceed. For now, only heavy-vehicle movement remains halted, but farmers have signaled that further escalation is possible.