Fears that Erdogan is controlling migrant flows to raise pressure

A sharp increase in migrant arrivals on the shores of the Aegean islands is being read as a reaction by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reports of certain European Union member-states refusing to foot the bill of an EU-Turkey migration deal, Kathimerini understands. 

After several days of no arrivals on the eastern Aegean island of Chios, 177 migrants reached its shores on Wednesday. 

An official at the Citizens' Protection Ministry said the sudden influx appeared to be politically motivated. "What happened yesterday... clearly proves that the Turkish president controls the flows toward Greece and, by extension, to the European Union," the official said.   

Tensions have peaked in the Aegean in recent weeks with a spike in Turkish violations of Greek air space - there were 31 on Wednesday - and disputes at sea.

On Wednesday efforts by the Hellenic...