site.btaHeavy Vehicle Crossings Halted at Bulgaria-Greece and Turkiye-Greece Borders Due to Greek Farmers’ Protests

The Bulgarian Border Police General Directorate Saturday announced on its website that the passage of heavy goods vehicles in both directions at the Kapitan Petko Voyvoda-Ormenion border crossing with Greece has been suspended, due to a Greek farmers’ protest that began on Wednesday.

A kilometre-long queue of heavy goods vehicles has formed at the Kulata- Promachonas border crossing, and passage through the checkpoint has been suspended, a BTA reporter observed on Saturday. Traffic at the Kapitan Andreevo and Lesovo border control checkpoints at the border with Turkiye remains heavy for freight vehicles. Traffic is reported to be normal at all border crossings with North Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania.

The Turkish Ministry of Trade reported that truck processing at the Ipsala-Kipi border crossing between Turkiye and Greece had been halted since the evening of December 2 due to farmers blocking the roads on the Greek side. According to Turkish authorities, similar protest actions are expected at border checkpoints with Bulgaria and North Macedonia, where truck crossings will also not be allowed.

The Turkish Ministry said that it has taken measures to allow certain cargo to bypass the blockade, including trucks carrying frozen and perishable food, medicines, flowers, and other essential goods. The protests are expected to continue to December 21, Turkiye Today reported.

Greek media report that the main demand of the protesting farmers is the resolution of delayed subsidies following a scandal involving improper payments from the state agricultural payments agency OPEKEPE.

Earlier on Saturday, the Greek government sent a message to the protesting farmers amid escalating road blockades and reports of aggressive behaviour toward police in Thessaloniki. Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance stance, citing an incident in which a group of farmers attempted to approach Thessaloniki’s Macedonia Airport with the aim of blocking it.