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Turkey rescues 75 migrants pushed back by Greece

October 12, 2021 at 8:24 am

Turkish Coast Guards rescue asylum seekers on a boat off Izmir’s coas on 27 July 2021 [Turkish Coast Guard/Anadolu Agency]

Turkish coast guards yesterday rescued 75 irregular migrants who were pushed back by the Greek authorities into Turkish territorial waters off the southwestern coastal city of Mugla.

Security sources told Anadolu Agency that the patrol guards responded after receiving a call reporting a “presence of irregular migrants along the coast of Turkey’s Marmaris city.”

“The coastal teams have rescued 75 migrants who were onboard rubber boats,” the sources pointed out, adding that the Greek authorities had pushed them “into the Turkish waters.”

It pointed out that the immigrants were “transported to the migration directorate in Mugla to take the necessary measures.”

Turkey, a key transit point for illegal migrants seeking a better life in Europe, currently hosts more than four million refugees, 3.6 million of whom are Syrians, according to official data.

READ: ‘EU should keep promise to Turkey on visa-free travel’,Greek minister says