The Aegean has claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants in the past year, including scores of children. It has also been a habitual source of tension between NATO members Greece and Turkey for decades.

Ever since the two countries nearly went to war over an uninhabited islet in 1996, Ankara has stepped up challenges to Greece's dominance in the area.

Greece claims a 10-mile (16-kilometre) air space limit around its coastline and islands, but Turkey only recognises six miles, arguing that under international rules Greece's airspace should be the same as its territorial waters.

As a result, there are often mock dogfights when Turkish warplanes enter airspace that Greece claims as its own.

Turkey also says there are a number of Greek islets and islands such as Agathonissi and Farmakonissi, whose sovereignty remains unclear.

But the migration challenge has forced Athens and Ankara to work together, despite their long-standing differences.

After repeated calls from Berlin for closer cooperation between Greek and Turkish coastguards fell on deaf ears, Germany and Turkey earlier in February asked NATO to help police the latter's shores.

“The EU wanted a safe and indisputable means of informing the Turkish coastguard on the movement of migrant smugglers,” says Angelos Syrigos, assistant professor of international law and foreign policy at Athens’ Panteion University.

“(EU border agency) Frontex has no authority to survey the Turkish coasts where the smugglers are active.”

He adds: “If the Turkish coastguard cooperates, there will be results without loss of human life.”

Though the precise details of the operation are still being worked out with Brussels, a five-ship NATO flotilla deployed to the Aegean last weekend, a NATO source said.

“NATO's standing maritime group 2, which currently consists of five ships -- from Germany, Canada, Italy, Greece and Turkey -- has already deployed in the international waters of the Aegean Sea,” a NATO official told AFP.

- AFP