NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg clarified on Tuesday that third country nationals who have set sail from Turkey in a bid to illegally reach Greek territory will be returned to the Turkish coast once rescued, according to an agreement signed between the two sides.
He also said NATO’s role in the refugee crisis does not consist of arresting people and stopping vessels, but of assisting the work of the Greek and Turkish coast guards, as well as Frontex.
Speaking at the European Parliament, Stoltenberg said it is primarily about sharing information relating to the identification and monitoring of vessels sailing in the region. He noted however, that if NATO ships locate people at sea who are in peril, they will be rescued, in accordance with international law.
The NATO chief added that the success of the operation depends on Greece, Turkey and Frontex. Considering that Greece is a member of the EU and Turkey isn’t, NATO’s role also consists on bridging that gap, he added, and said the alliance will participate with two to five ships.
(source: ana-mpa)
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