EU-Turkey migration pact 'dead': Greek PM

The EU-Turkey pact that has since 2016 limited migration to Europe is "dead", the Greek PM has said, accusing Ankara of "assisting" an ongoing surge of thousands of migrants on the border.

"Right now, let's be honest, the agreement is dead," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told CNN on Friday.

"And it's dead because Turkey has decided to completely violate the agreement, because of what happened in Syria," he added.

Thousands of migrants have gathered at the border since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that his country would no longer stop them from trying to leave.

The announcement came after dozens of Turkish troops were killed in an air strike in Syria.

Since then, Greek forces say they have prevented nearly 39,000 people from crossing the border. Turkey claims the real number is more than three times higher.

Turkey agreed in 2016 to stop letting migrants leave in exchange for six billion euros -- but Ankara says other parts of the EU deal including improved visa and trade rules were never fulfilled.

Mitsotakis said Turkey was doing "the exact opposite" of its obligation to hold back asylum-seekers.

"They have systematically assisted, both at land and at sea, people in their effort to cross into Greece," he said.

Mitsotakis acknowledged that Turkey was hosting nearly four million refugees from Syria but insisted that "Europe is not going to be blackmailed over this problem by Turkey."