Refugee Crisis: Greece Unwilling to Conduct Joint Sea Patrols with Turkey

 
By Anastassios Adamopoulos -
Oct 13, 2015

The Greek government is not open to conducting joint sea patrols with the Turkish Navy in the East Aegean sea.

Kathimerini newspaper cites Greek diplomatic sources who claim there will not be such operations between the neighbouring countries in the face of the refugee crisis, primarily because Turkey repeatedly violates Greek jurisdiction in the Aegean sea. Turkey is trying to use the ongoing refugee crisis to promote these vested interests that it has, according to sources, who also noted that the European Union has not raised such an issue.

Inspite of the refusal for joint sea patrols, Greece is willing to help Turkey as well as other countries of the Middle East and is willing to cooperate closely with Turkey on the refugee crisis, Kathimerini reports the source said.

Earlier on Tuesday German government spokesperson Stefan Steibert had noted that Greece and Turkey must work together to deter migrant and refugee smugglers operating between the two lands.

Migrant and refugee smuggling from Turkey to the Greek islands is a daily occasion with the Greek coast guard conducting multiple search operations throughout the day to rescue shipwerecked groups of individuals seeking to arrive at European shores.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2015/10/13/refugee-crisis-greece-unwilling-to-conduct-joint-sea-patrols-with-turkey/