Border delays at Kestanelik (Kastanies) blamed on infrastructure and Turkish customs, police union says
In a statement issued after days of severe traffic congestion and hours-long waiting times at the Kastanies border crossing on the Greece–Türkiye frontier, the union said the situation is a recurring summer problem as thousands of travelers drive between Europe and Türkiye.
According to the union, the congestion not only causes significant inconvenience for travelers but also disrupts the daily lives of residents in Kastanies, where heavy traffic passes directly through the village.
The union praised police officers stationed at the border, saying they work under demanding conditions and often exceed their operational capacity to process the large volume of travelers while maintaining the smooth operation of the crossing.
It argued that the main bottleneck lies in the outdated infrastructure at the Kastanies customs facility, which continues to operate using two temporary container-type installations for entry and exit procedures. The implementation of a new biometric data collection system for third-country nationals has also increased processing times, further slowing border checks.
The statement added that traffic management has become increasingly difficult, with only one traffic patrol assigned per shift to oversee both the Kastanies area and a wider regional road network, including the Ardanio–Ormenio route, which carries thousands of passenger and freight vehicles each day.
The union also criticized the continued use of a road passing through the village as the main access route to one of Greece’s most important land border crossings, describing the situation as incompatible with the standards of a modern European border checkpoint.
While noting that legislation has already been approved to upgrade the Kastanies customs station based on the model of the Kipi border crossing, the union said no clear timetable for the project has been announced. It called on the government to introduce immediate temporary measures while long-term infrastructure improvements are implemented.
The union said it had repeatedly warned authorities about the need to modernize the crossing and strengthen staffing. Although additional police personnel were deployed ahead of the busy summer season, it stressed that the recent delays are not attributable to Greek police or their inspections, but to significant processing delays on the Turkish customs side, which have resulted in the accumulation of large numbers of vehicles.
The Police Officers’ Union of Orestiada urged the government to take responsibility and implement lasting solutions, arguing that the efficient operation of one of the country's main gateways cannot continue to rely solely on the dedication and extraordinary efforts of police officers.
