Turkey rescued 97 asylum seekers stranded in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish Coast Guard said Friday.
The asylum seekers were in three rubber boats that were punctured Thursday by the Greek Coast Guard, Turkish authorities said on Twitter.
GREEK AUTHORITIES PREVENT BOATS TO REACH COAST
Although Ankara is not preventing asylum seekers from leaving Turkey, crossings the Aegean Sea is not allowed due to safety hazards, it added.
As the asylum seekers are pushed back toward Turkey, their boats were punctured or engines disconnected by Greek authorities, leaving them stranded in the middle of the sea, the Turkish Coast Guard added.
Turkey rescues asylum seekers off western coast WATCH
Meanwhile, 41 asylum seekers trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos from Turkey’s western province of Canakkale were rerouted to the land border.
Blaming the EU for failing to keep its promise of helping asylum seekers, Turkey recently loosened its policy and has allowed them to seek entrance into Europe.
Turkey currently hosts nearly 4 million Syrians, making it the world’s top refugee-hosting country.