By Muhammed Yasin Gungor
ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish coast guards rescued 58 irregular migrants, including 17 children, from the Aegean Sea, said official statements issued on Tuesday.
Coast Guard Command said in three separate statements that its teams carried out multiple rescue operations to save irregular migrants who were pushed back by Greek elements on Monday.
In one incident, the coast guard rescued 17 migrants stranded in Karaada, near western Izmir province. The irregular migrants were pushed back in a life raft and arrived at the island on their own.
Another group of 33 migrants, including 14 children, were found in two life rafts off the coast of southwestern Bodrum, and Mugla was rescued by the coast guard.
Another rescue operation occurred off the coast of western Aydin province, with eight irregular migrants, including three children, rescued from a rubber boat.
The Turkish authority utilized multiple vessels to ensure the safety of all rescued people.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Ankara and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.