Turkey Launches Active Phase of Sea Lion-2022 Exercise on Border With Greece - Reports

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2022) Turkey launched an active phase of the Sea Lion-2022 exercise at the border with Greece with a view to improving quality and efficiency of search and rescue works at the Aegean Sea coast, Turkish broadcaster TRT Haber reported on Thursday.

According to the broadcaster, the current phase of the Sea Lion-2022 exercise organized by the Turkish Coast Guard Command is taking place in the international waters of the Aegean Sea and the Turkish airspace within the country's search and rescue zone. The stated aims of the exercise is to increase the ability of Turkish search and rescue units and coordination centers to carry out joint operations, identify and eliminate possible problems in the region.

The active phase is involving search-and-rescue helicopters, transport aircraft, warplanes, corvettes and fast patrol boats of the Turkish armed forces and the security forces of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, TRT Haber reported.

For decades, the Aegean, which is a common sea between Turkey and Greece, has been the area of disputes between the two countries. Greece has been greatly impacted by the large number of illegal migrants coming into the country through the sea border with Turkey. Human smuggling gangs regularly bring illegal migrants from one state to another. On Sunday, the Hellenic Coast Guard said that 106 illegal migrants reached the Greek island of Kos in the Aegean Sea after being rescued from a sank boat.