The NATO force in the Aegean on Tuesday began patrols along the Turkish coast to control and stop the lines to Greece used by refugee and migrant traffickers.
The commander of the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), Rear Admiral Jorg Klein, was given diplomatic permission to enter Turkey’s territorial waters on Monday night. Negotiations between the EU and Turkey were still underway in Brussels at the time, while the NATO Secretary General had talks on the same day with the Turkish prime minister and the Greek defence minister.
The SNMG2 flagship, the German frigate ‘FGS-BONN’, began patrols northeast of Lesvos in Turkish waters early on Tuesday morning, acting mainly on the information it was given by the Greek National Defence General Staff, the Hellenic Navy and the Hellenic Coast Guard about the movements of traffickers and migrants to the Greek islands.
The information was handed over to Rear Admiral Klein and NATO Maritime Command Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Giorgio Lazio during their recent visit to Athens.
Of the other ships in the SNMG2, the Turkish frigate “TCG-Barbaros” (F-244) is stationed between the Greek islands of Kos and Astypalaia, the Greek frigate “Salamis” is sailing off the island of Agios Efstratios, the British tanker “Mount1 Bay” is in the central Aegean between the islands of Andros and Chios, awaiting orders.
Also due to join the NATO operation are two more British ships and a French frigate, while a Canadian and Italian ship currently in Italy are scheduled to return.
Source: ANA/MPA
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