Turkey rescues 29 asylum seekers pushed back by Greece

By Halil Sahin

IZMIR (AA) - Turkey rescued 29 asylum seekers early Friday who were illegally pushed back by Greece into Turkish waters in the Aegean Sea.

The asylum seekers, who were in a life raft, were taken ashore near the Cesme district of Izmir province, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said in a statement.

Twenty-one irregular migrants were also rescued from a rubber boat that experienced engine failure in Dikili province.

All occupants were later taken to the provincial migration office.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

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