By Gokhan Duzyol and Ali Balli
AYDIN / MUGLA, Türkiye (AA) – The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 112 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea after Greek authorities illegally pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters, said an official statement issued on Saturday.
Coast guard units rescued 11 migrants from a rubber boat off the coast of Mugla's Bodrum district, and 101 others were saved in two separate operations off the coast of Kusadasi district in Aydin province, the Turkish Coast Guard said in the statement.
The irregular migrants were later taken to the provincial migration authorities.
Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
*Writing by Merve Berker