Kurz thanks Greece for defending EU borders

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz thanked Greece on Tuesday for "doing everything to protect the European external borders".

Speaking at a joint press conference in Vienna with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Kurz accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of "abusing" migrants in an attempt to "blackmail Europe with these tactics and force Europe to its knees".

Mitsotakis said he was now "more optimistic" that a mutually beneficial compromise between Turkey and the EU could be found.

Thousands of migrants have massed at Turkey's land border with EU-member Greece since Erdogan's government made good on a longstanding threat and announced it would no longer prevent migrants from crossing.

EU countries have rallied behind Greece, which is also a member of NATO, and described it as a “shield” protecting Europe's borders with the outside world.