Turkish Coast Guard Command teams rescued at least 72 migrants and refugees Monday from four boats in the Aegean Sea.
Acting on a tip-off, the rescue team reached out to the migrants, who were onboard inflatable boats that were forced into Turkish territorial waters by the Greek coast guard.
The group of Afghans, Congolese, Guineans and Pakistanis were rescued off the coast of Foça in Izmir province. They were taken to the provincial migration office.
In the past three months, Turkish security forces have rescued more than 250 migrants and refugees off the Aegean coast after they were forced by Greece into Turkey's territorial waters.
Turkey and Greece have been key transit points for asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants seeking to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Ankara already hosts nearly 4 million Syrian migrants, more than any other country in the world, and says it cannot handle another wave.
Greece's response to those trying to enter the country without prior authorization has been harsh, with at least three migrants killed by Greek security forces on the land border with Turkey and many others battered and teargassed.
Turkey has condemned Greece for its harsh reaction to the influx of people at its border that includes physical attacks, spraying tear gas and killing several people who attempted to cross between the two nations.
Turkish officials also said earlier last month that the Greek coast guard had attempted to sink vessels carrying migrants and refugees toward the country's islands, opening fire and hitting people on the boats with long sticks.
