Türkiye rescues 18 irregular migrants off its Aegean coast

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye rescued 18 irregular migrants and apprehended another group of the same size in multiple operations, the country's Coast Guard announced Wednesday.

Eighteen migrants were brought ashore after their boat began drifting in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Ayvacik district in northwestern Türkiye's Canakkale province after its engine failed, said the Turkish Coast Guard.

After the Coast Guard's North Aegean Group Command detected the inflatable watercraft, it dispatched a vessel to the area, where it rescued 18 migrants of Yemeni and Syrian nationality.

The migrants were subsequently taken to the Ayvacik Removal Center after processing.

In another operation further south, 37 irregular migrants, including two children, were intercepted off the coast of Cesme district in Izmir province, also on the Aegean Sea coast.

After official procedures by authorities, the migrants were handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

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.