NATO is sending three warships to the sea between Turkey and Greece to crack down on those smuggling desperate people into Europe.

German government sources say that Germany, Greece and Turkey asked NATO to start monitoring the Aegean Sea to give a "clear view" of how people smugglers are working on the Turkish coast.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference that three warships, currently stationed near Cyprus, were being sent to the Aegean "without delay" to "start maritime surveillance activities".

The full plans are yet to be confirmed by NATO's generals but intelligence gathered is likely to be given to Turkey's coastguards, rather than NATO acting directly, according to NATO diplomats.

Mr Stoltenberg said refugees were not the targets of the mission, adding: "This is not about stopping and pushing back (refugees)...but about critical surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks.