Turkish President Erdogan asks NATO for additional help in Syria to help solving migrant crisis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to help his country secure its southern border following a meeting with the organization's head Jens Stoltenberg.

"[We've requested] additional NATO assistance on Syria - for the defense of the border with Syria, and in connection with the migration challenge," Erdogan said, asserting it is "important that the support Ankara requested is met without further delay."

Earlier, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the migration pact between the European Union and Turkey "dead."

Erdoğan accused Greece of seeking to extract financial gains from the EU over the crisis.

“It is beyond reason and understanding that an ally and a neighbouring country points toward Turkey as the one responsible for the wave of irregular migration,” he said. “And I have expressed to the secretary general that we aren’t going to allow this country to use the current situation and use the EU in order to obtain unjust gains for itself.”

With the conditions at border crossings and in Greek refugee camps deteriorating by the day, the EU said earlier on Monday that it would take in between 1,000 and 1,500 unaccompanied children currently living in dire conditions.

This video has the full press conference, in English and Turkish language.

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