Greek police: Pressure from influx of migrants 'suffocating'

Police guarding the fences separating Greece and Turkey are finding it challenging to hold off large numbers of migrants who are seeking to cross the border after Ankara said it would no longer attempt to stop them.

The move by Turkey to open its border, first announced Thursday, was by many seen as a deliberate attempt to pressure European countries to accept a larger number of refugees and migrants.

The decision instantly affected countries bordering Turkey, including Greece - where migrants played a cat-and-mouse game with border patrols throughout the night and into Saturday, with some cutting holes in the fence only to be turned back by tear gas and stun grenades.

Panagiotis Charles, leader of the Federation of Greek Border Police, described the pressure from the crowds as "suffocating."

"The past day has been a titanic fight from our side to keep the borders armoured on the Greek territory," Charles told members of the media in the town of Kastanies, situated at the border with Turkey.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday announced he had no plans to reverse the decision, which came as tensions ratcheted up between Turkey and Syria.

More than 55 Turkish troops have been killed since Turkey began sending further reinforcements into areas of northwest Syria under the control of rebels, which are backed by Ankara.