By Zafer Fatih Beyaz
ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 15 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea after they were illegally backed to Turkey's territorial waters by Greek forces, an official statement said on Thursday.
On Twitter, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry reported the immigrants as saying that they were forced to embark on boats by Greece and pushed backed to Turkey.
An unmanned aerial vehicle of the Turkish Naval Forces Command recorded during its reconnaissance and surveillance activities that Greek Coast Guard boats pushed asylum seekers into Turkish territorial waters.
The ministry also shared the video footage of the incident.
Turkey and 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 migrants, including women and children.
* Writing by Gozde Bayar