Angry Greek farmers clash with police on Crete

Farmers on Crete on Monday clashed with riot police near the Greek island's international airports in a burgeoning protest wave related to an EU subsidy probe.

State TV ERT showed dozens of farmers armed with stones and clubs smashing police vehicles stationed to block the protesters from reaching Chania airport.

The police fired tear gas before retreating from the scene, enabling the farmers to overturn a police vehicle.

There were also skirmishes near the island's Heraklion airport after farmers tried to bypass a police roadblock.

Thousands of Greek farmers have since late November blocked highways, mainly in the centre and north of the country, to demand swifter access to EU subsidies delayed by an ongoing probe into multi-million fraud.

In May, EU prosecutors alleged that thousands of suspects made claims for land they did not own, and exaggerated the numbers of livestock on farms.

Greek officials say fraudsters made more than 30 million euros' ($35 million) worth of false claims for Common Agricultural Policy subsidies.

The government has insisted that no legitimate farmers will lose money once the investigation is completed.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday insisted the government was open to dialogue with farmers' representatives but warned against "blind" protests.

"Sometimes, the most extreme mobilisations might turn large segments of society against the farmers, who may have legitimate demands," said the Greek leader, whose home island of Crete is strongly implicated in the scandal.

"We are not going to repeat the mistake we made in other times, promising and giving farmers money that we could not later justify, and for which (the European Union) would ask us to return, with interest," Mitsotakis said.

Livestock farmers are also demanding compensation following the loss of over 400,000 sheep and goats to a sheep pox outbreak, all of which were slaughtered to stop the spread of the disease.

The authorities have resisted calls from farmers to be allowed to vaccinate their flocks, arguing there is no proof the measure actually works.