Turkey rescued 79 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea after they were pushed back by Greek coastal authorities, sources said Tuesday.
In the Aegean Sea off Dalaman district in southwestern Muğla province, coast guard teams rescued 31 asylum seekers who were illegally pushed back by Greek officials, said a source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
ASYLUM SEEKERS WERE PUSHED BACK
Separately, teams saved 19 additional asylum seekers who were similarly pushed back in the Aegean Sea off Bodrum district in Muğla, according to another source.
The Turkish Coast Guard Command in a statement said an additional 29 irregular migrants were rescued off the coast of Ayvalık district in Balikesir province in western Turkey.
All of the migrants were transferred to the local provincial migration office.
GREECE’S ILLEGAL ACTION
In a separate statement, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said at least 318 irregular migrants were pushed back by Greek officials while another 84 migrants were held when attempting to illegally cross the border during the first four days of 2022.
According to the statement, coast guard teams rescued the asylum seekers in rubber boats at four locations off the coast of Karaburun, Çeşme, Dikili and Foça districts in Izmir province.