The Turkish coast guard rescued 78 irregular migrants off Türkiye's Aegean coast on Sunday and Monday after they were pushed back into Turkish waters by Greek authorities.
Late Sunday, the teams rescued 27 irregular migrants illegally pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities.
In Ayvacık, a district of northwestern Çanakkale province, 27 Afghan migrants were rescued from a rubber boat, according to the Coast Guard Command. The migrants were taken to the provincial migration authorities.
Off the coast of Bodrum, a popular holiday destination in Türkiye's southwest, another 51 migrants pushed back by Greece were rescued by the coast guard. In one instance, officers found 35 irregular migrants in a rubber boat, while another 16 migrants were found in another vessel in a nearby location.
Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back irregular migrants, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children. Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants seeking to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
