Turkey rescues 381 asylum seekers in a week

By Aykut Karadag

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey rescued 381 asylum seekers over the past week, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said on Saturday.

Between June 5 and 11, a total of 381 asylum seekers were held or rescued in 14 incidents, the coast guard said on Twitter.

Three smugglers were also arrested, it added, sharing four photos from the rescue operations where the Turkish teams in full protective gear were seen taking asylum seekers’ temperature.

Turkey has been one of the main routes for asylum seekers wanting to reach Europe, especially since Syria’s civil war started in 2011.

Turkey hosts nearly four million Syrians, more than any other country in the world.