Taking part in a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Greece's Defence Minister Panos Kammenos called for action to slow migrant and refugee flows into Europe by creating "safe zones" in the affected areas.

The problem of illegal migration is a major one and the country cannot bear such large inflows, Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Tuesday adding that this is not an issue of "Greece but of Europe, which would have to put pressure on Turkey to apply Dublin II.”

Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos has blocked acceptance of the remaining NH-90 Army Aviation transport helicopters, because "the program and contracts signed are under scrutiny by the authorities."