A boat carrying 26 migrants and refugees in the Aegean Sea was rescued on Thursday by the Turkish Coast Guard Command.

The boat carrying Syrian nationals, including women and children, was pushed into Turkish waters by the Greek side.

The Syrians were rescued off the coast of Turkey's Muğla province and transferred to the provincial immigration authority.

In the past two months, Turkish security guards rescued more than 170 migrants and refugees off the Aegean coast after they were forced by Greece into Turkish 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.

Turkish officials said earlier last month that the Greek coast guard had attempted to sink boats carrying migrants and refugees toward the Greek islands, opening fire and hitting the people on the boats with long sticks.