Turkish Coast Guard saves lives of irregular migrants pushed back by Greece in Aegean

By Aykut Karadag

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish Coast Guard saved the lives of irregular migrants pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry said on Twitter that an unmanned aerial vehicle of the Naval Forces Command recorded the pushback of the irregular migrants off the coast of the Sarnic Burnu area.

Greek forces transferred the migrants onto two life rafts and pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters on Monday, it added.

Ankara and international human 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 people, including women and children.

Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution in their countries.

It already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, and is taking new security measures on its borders to humanely prevent an influx of migrants.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar