Turkish man deported from Greece after 'accidentally entering the country'

A Turkish civilian arrested by Greek soldiers for straying into Greece has been deported to Turkey, police said on Saturday.

Local police in northeastern Greece said the man was returned to Turkish authorities at the Kastanies border crossing on Saturday afternoon, where he was greeted by a throng of Turkish media.

A court had given the 37-year-old a five-month suspended sentence on Thursday for illegally entering Greece the previous day. The man was detained while driving an excavator on the Greek side of the border.

The man, who was also fined 1,500 euros ($1,797), said he had been working on the construction of a well at a Turkish customs post. He said he got confused and turned accidentally into Greece instead of Turkey after work.

The Turkish man initially appealed his sentence but later decided against an appeal, his lawyer told said.

Turkish authorities arrested two Greek soldiers in the same area two months ago. The two are still detained. Greek officials said they had strayed across the border accidentally while on patrol.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Greek riot police fired tear gas at angry anti-migrant protesters on the island of Lesbos during a demonstration against a European Union migration policy.

The protesters were among 2,500 demonstrators who gathered in Lesbos’ main port as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrived to speak at a conference. 

A large contingent of riot police formed a cordon to block the protesters from advancing further, and scores of them then tried to push over a police bus in clashes that lasted more than an hour. No arrests or injuries were reported.

Officers fired tear gas and earlier had discharged several flash grenades.

Under the deal, migrants arriving on Greek islands from Turkey are held and face deportation to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece. The deal has created a massive backlog, angering people on Lesbos and other Greek islands.