Turkey rescues 55 irregular migrants in Aegean Sea

By Ferdi Uzun

AYDIN, Turkey (AA) - Turkish coast guard rescued 55 irregular migrants from a sinking rubber boat in the Aegean Sea off the country's southwestern coast on Saturday.
According to a statement by the Coastal Guard Command, the boat, carrying 52 Syrians, two Palestinians and a Saudi national, suffered engine failure before the rescue team reached them.
The migrants sailed off from the Turkish coastal province of Aydin heading for nearest Greek islands.
They were taken to the provincial migration management offices for further procedure.
Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.
Some 268,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.

* Written by Ali Murat Alhas