In pictures: Thousands gather at Turkish-Greek border in hope of new life

Thousands of refugees who have been sheltering in Turkey for years packed their vital belongings and took buses to the land border with Greece. The majority of refugees trying to enter Greece are from Afghanistan, like this family pictured travelling from Istanbul. However, many other nationalities are represented, including refugees from Iran, Syria, Palestine, Bangladesh and Morocco (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Approaching the Pazarkule border crossing in the north of Turkey, though still some kilometres from the border, groups of refugees are walking to what many think are open gates to Europe. In reality, Greece, as well as neighbouring Bulgaria, continue to seal their borders and have deployed military and riot police to fend off any illegal entry (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Avoiding the border guards on the Greek side, refugees make their way on foot towards the Evros river, forming a natural border with Turkey. Some have made attempts to swim across, and those who have failed remain cold and wet in the minus zero temperatures at night (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Turkey made its sudden decision to open its borders following the killing of at least 33 soldiers in Syria's Idlib last month. Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing Syrian and Russian bombardment in the province. In an attempt to halt a new influx of refugees into a country that already hosts 3.7 million Syrians, Turkey has called for Nato and international support for its military offensive in Idlib (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Many of the refugees camping in the open on the Turkish side of the border with Greece told MEE they are unable to get work or medical attention in Turkey, forcing them to search for a better life in Europe. Twenty-year-old Abdullah, from Aleppo, said he wanted to go to Germany. "It’s too hard here, there’s no work and no money," he told MEE (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Mohammed, along with his sister-in-law and her children from Aleppo, pray to God that Greece will open its border for them so they can earn money to survive and visit doctors. There has been rising public frustration inside Turkey at Syrian refugees, making this move by Ankara to defy the EU deal a way to calm domestic concerns (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Opening the borders to Europe is seen by Ankara as a way of pressuring the continent into a more active involvement in the refugee crisis. Turkey claims that more than 100,000 refugees have left through its border with Greece. This figure seems unlikely considering not more than 4,000 people are present at the northern border and Greece is adamant they will not be let through (MEE/Tessa Fox)

People in wheelchairs and those with illnesses were also present at the Pazarkule crossing, attempting to access healthcare in Europe, along with children in need of surgery. One Afghan woman explained to MEE that her son required two different surgeries for his teeth, which visibly looked like they were rotting behind a hair lip. "For my son I want to go to Greece. We have depression and stress here in Turkey," she said in a desperate tone (MEE/Tessa Fox)

A refugee attempts to reason with a plain clothes guard on the Greek side of the border with Turkey. The refugee took on a diplomatic role among the crowd as he spoke English, asking for bottles of water and bringing attention to their needs. As a result of the new crisis at its borders, Greece has announced it will not be accepting any new asylum applications for one month (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Young children suffer from tear gas inhalation, fired by Greek border patrol guards, and from the smoke from fires burnt to keep warm at the Greek-Turkish border crossing. On Monday, the Greek government announced it would begin using live fire to control its land and sea borders. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told the Greek authorities on the same day to show "humanity" (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Conditions are tough in the makeshift campsite, with only two toilets for thousands of people and no shelter. Refugees were provided with little food by local aid groups. Men on bicycles selling sandwiches and pop up tea shops are available for those with money to spend (MEE/Tessa Fox)

Refugees used plastic food wraps to erect a tent to protect them from rain. All those who spoke with MEE had camped at the border for several nights and vowed they would stay there until the border was opened. Fear mixed with dreamy hope, they asked for prayers for their families (MEE/Tessa Fox)