Migration crisis

The bill approved Monday lets soldiers carry out many of the same tasks as police, such as checking ID, detaining suspects and controlling the flow of traffic at the borders.

While the soldiers will carry weapons, Hungarian officials vowed that the use of force would be only a last resort. Defense Minister Istvan Simicsko said earlier that "you truly can't answer a slap with a rocket."

The bill approved Monday lets soldiers carry out many of the same tasks as police, such as checking ID, detaining suspects and controlling the flow of traffic at the borders.

While the soldiers will carry weapons, Hungarian officials vowed that the use of force would be only a last resort. Defense Minister Istvan Simicsko said earlier that "you truly can't answer a slap with a rocket."

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone Wednesday. The government said Merkel praised the "enormous Turkish efforts" to take care of nearly 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. It added that the two leaders agreed to increase cooperation on resolving the refugee crisis, with an emphasis on combatting traffickers.