NATO Assumes Supervision of Turko-Greek Sea Borders

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met in Ankara, Turkey on February 10 to negotiate NATO supervision of refugees crossing Turko-Greek sea borders.  Large waves of refugees have caused severe problems in Greece, as the government is struggling to provide adequate resources for the migrants. According to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Merkel and Davutoglu have agreed that NATO forces will patrol the sea passage between Greece and Turkey to prevent migrants from venturing across the Aegean Sea into Greek waters. In addition, NATO will limit the activity of human traffickers, who play a key role in facilitating migrant flows. According to Kathimerini, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras contacted Chancellor Merkel to learn more about the agreement and expressed that Greece would accept the solution, as long as NATO forces operate within the Turkish  borders of the Aegean Sea. The European Commission lauded this initiative, stating,  “The 10 kilometers separating Greece and Turkey should not be a place for traffickers to thrive.”

However, some political parties within Greece have objected  the new agreement. New Democracy, the Greek opposition party, stated that Alexis Tsipras is “unable to make sound decisions when it comes to national interests.” The Greek Communist Party argued that “NATO will not bring peace to our region, but will result in infringement of our national rights.” Indeed, the government has come under heavy criticism for this agreement, as there is fear that the Turkish fleet will continue to trespass Greek naval borders with the excuse of NATO membership.