BREAKING NEWS

Turkey, Greece seek NATO mission in Aegean to monitor refugee flow

By REUTERS

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 02:54

BRUSSELS- Turkey and Greece have agreed to ask for a NATO mission to monitor refugee flows in the Aegean Sea and combat people smugglers, a senior German government official said late on Wednesday.

"Turkey and Greece are both asking NATO to develop an overview of the situation with the national coastguards and Frontex," the German official said, referring to Europe's border protection agency.

Struggling to stop refugees streaming into Greece despite a deal between Ankara and the European Union to combat the flood, Germany and Turkey surprised partners this week by saying they would raise the issue with NATO.

Turkey has also said it is prepared to take back refugees who are rescued at sea or picked up by NATO, the official said.

Information gathered by NATO should also be passed on to Turkish authorities to go after people smugglers, the official added.

"It is not NATO's remit to push back or stop refugee boats," the official said.

NATO allies already have ships in the eastern Mediterranean, part of efforts to shore up Turkey's air defences against missiles from Syria and Russian airspace violations.

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