A drone has captured the Greek coast guard pushing back irregular migrants into Turkish waters, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"A drone belonging to the naval command has determined that on Aug. 16, 2022, Greek coast guard elements have transferred irregular migrants on a dingy and pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters," the ministry said.

It added that the situation was immediately noticed by the Turkish Coast Guard Command and efforts were launched to save the irregular migrants.

The ministry also shared the visuals of the illegal pushbacks on its Twitter account.

Turkey has repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum-seekers, stating it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.

In recent years, hundreds of thousands have made short but perilous journeys across the Aegean to reach Northern and Western Europe in search of a better life.

Hundreds of people have died at sea as many boats carrying refugees sank or capsized. The Turkish Coast Guard Command has rescued thousands of others.

Türkiye and Greece are key transit points for migrants looking to cross into Europe, fleeing war and persecution to start new lives. Türkiye has accused Greece of large-scale pushbacks, summary deportations and denying migrants access to asylum procedures, which is a violation of international law. Ankara also accuses the European Union of turning a blind eye to this blatant abuse of human rights.